


So This is College?

by Bisexual_mess_ready_for_death



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora has PTSD, Alternate Universe - College/University, Catra has Anxiety, Catra is doing her best, Catradora Superhero Au, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I almost named this "And they were roommates", I dont know what Im doing half the time, M/M, Micah Lives, Shadow Weaver is still a bitch, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, Superhero!Adora, Superhero!Glimmer, The AU no one asked for, Vigilante!Bow, Vigilante!Catra, and they were ROOMMATES
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2020-07-25 15:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20028151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bisexual_mess_ready_for_death/pseuds/Bisexual_mess_ready_for_death
Summary: Adora is an english major doing her best to deal with her powers and her issuesCatra is a music major confused by her new friendAnd they were roommates(A Catradora Superhero AU)





	1. Beginings are Hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so after much deliberation, I decided to post this early
> 
> With some luck, I'll get another chapter up this week
> 
> Unfortunately, I'm not going to be on here for two weeks after that, so please be patient
> 
> Once I come back, I'll do my best to get a new chapter up each week

Catra wandered the halls of the dorm building, double checking her information packet for the room number. She dragged her cart full of boxes and slid her key into the lock. Half of the room was already set up, a light blue comforter thrown on the twin bed. The bulletin board was full of pictures and a small succulent was placed on the corner of the desk. Catra noted the overcrowded bookshelf on her roommate's side. At least she wouldn’t be dealing with parties and random one night stands in the middle of the night. 

Catra began unpacking her boxes. The first thing she did was set up the bed. Her red comforter was complemented by her orange pillows. She put up a couple of photos of her friends on her own bulletin board, as well as her class schedule. She pulled her clothes out and carefully put them in the closet, doing her best to keep it organized. Then she pulled out her guitar, the most important thing a music major could have. She carefully placed it in a safe place so it wouldn’t get broken. There was no way in hell Catra could afford a replacement. She grabbed her laptop and sat down on the bed just in time to hear a key in the lock.  
•••  
Adora opened her dorm room after going to visit Glimmer. Her best friend had gotten lucky enough to get a single, which was convenient. Glimmer was going to have a much easier time explaining her random absences and weird leaving times. Adora had no clue how her roommate would react to her own weird activities. 

A girl wearing a red flannel with ripped black jeans and a red beanie that had cat ears sat on the bed. The girl had dark brown hair and different colored eyes, one gold and one blue. The girl was focused on her laptop and clearly hadn’t noticed Adora come in. 

“Um… hi?” Adora spoke, shyly waving her hand. 

“Hey. I’m guessing you’re my roommate? I’m Catra.” The girl, Catra, shut her laptop and got off the bed. 

“I’m Adora. I’m an English major.” She smiled. 

“Nice, I’m a music major. Kind of weird that they would match us for roommates. You’d think they'd put people with the same major together.”

“I don’t know, I feel like they just kinda do it randomly.” Adora’s phone buzzed. Glimmer. 

“Nice meeting you.”

“Oh yeah, you too! I just- I gotta go.” She grabbed her keys and ran out of the room. Hopefully she would be able to get there on time.  
•••  
Catra thought her roommate was kind of weird, but in a good way. The blonde had been extremely nervous once her phone went off. Maybe she had a family emergency? Or she forgot something in her car? Oh hell, it didn’t matter. 

Catra picked up her guitar and plucked at the strings. She wanted to try and practice a little bit before she inevitably got interrupted. She had probably only played for about 10 minutes before her best friend, Scorpia, burst in. 

Scorpia was a tall, muscular girl with short white hair. She wore a black bomber jacket with a grey shirt and jeans. Despite her muscular appearance, she was the sweetest person you could ever meet. Scorpia was also a photography major, and had a habit of dragging Catra with her to take pictures.

“Come on! There’s a fight going on outside and I need some pictures! Especially since it’s right outside the school!” She grabbed Catra’s hand, pulling her off the bed. Catra grabbed her phone and her keys. Hopefully the fight wouldn’t get too messy.

They weaved through the crowd outside the building to see a blonde woman with a gigantic sword. The woman wore a tight, white romper, with golden accents. Her upper arms were bare, but she had on a pair of gold cuffs that reminded Catra of Wonder Woman. She had a long red cape that trailed behind her as she swung her sword at the weird looking robot. The weirdest thing about the woman was that her blue eyes looked strangely familiar.

Catra was jolted out of her thoughts by a pink blur appearing next to the woman. The blur formed into a woman wearing a pair of dark purple leggings with a light blue tank top. This woman was a lot shorter than the blonde, but her costume was a lot more intricate. She had blue fingerless gloves on, and a light blue hood pulled over her head. She had a purple mask, which was a bit weird, but Catra wasn’t going to judge. This woman wielded a purple staff and… sparkles? Strange. The two women battled the circular robot, the taller one bashing it with her sword as her companion shot sparkles at it. The robot shot lasers indiscriminately towards the women and the crowd. Scorpia readied her camera and moved closer.

“Scorpia! That’s not a good plan!” Catra hissed, grabbing the back of her friend’s jacket and attempting to pull her back.

“Come on! Do you know how much people will need these photos for their stories? I might even get extra credit for this and class hasn’t even started yet!”

“Extra credit isn’t worth dying for!” She protested. The blonde woman stabbed the robot once more with her sword, swiftly cutting right into its core. The red sensor on the front of the bot dimmed and died. The blonde woman turned towards the crowd, as her- Sidekick? Friend? Companion? -Whatever, the smaller woman stepped forward.

“I’m guessing you’ve all got some questions for us? She Ra and I are happy to answer all of them.” She spoke. Catra, sensing the danger was over, released Scorpia’s jacket and pulled out her phone, deciding to try and get a video of this.

“Who are you?” Someone in the crowd shouted.

“What was that thing?”

“How did you do that?”

“What is going on?”

“Can everyone calm down!” The blonde, or She Ra, spoke. A hush went over the crowd as She Ra slung her sword onto her back and blasted off towards the sky. So… she could fly? Weird. The smaller woman cursed under her breath and disappeared.

So weird.  
•••  
“Adora, you can’t just leave me to deal with the crowd on my own!” Glimmer exclaimed. The two had made it back to her room, which was luckily a single. Glimmer had already changed back into her sweatshirt and jeans. She was a little bruised after being hit by the bot, but otherwise she was fine.

“You know I’m not good with crowds! I did my best, but everyone was yelling and asking questions! I couldn’t handle that.” Adora fiddled with her necklace. It had been a gift from her mom, before…

“I know, but you have to get better. That’s kind of what sucks about having powers.” Glimmer teleported over, embracing her. Adora relaxed into it, already feeling a little better. Glimmer was probably the only one who understood how she felt.

“I have to go back to my room now.” She muttered.

“If you’re sure you want to deal with that right now. You know, you could just stay with me. I really don’t mind. Especially with your-”

“I’M FINE!” Adora yelled, getting out of Glimmer’s hug. People had to stop treating her like she was fragile. She wasn’t. She had super strength, she couldn’t be fragile.

“I’ll see you at breakfast.” Glimmer walked to the other side of the room in a clear attempt to give Adora space.

Ugh, when had life become so complicated?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed
> 
> I'm probably going to go more into depth about their powers later, but for now, have some broad stuff
> 
> Talk to me on my tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	2. Bot Mainframes are more Useful than Bot Legs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Season 3 is out tomorrow, I decided to post another chapter

Catra woke up to the sound of a beeping alarm.

“Nooooooo,” She muttered, burying herself deeper in her blankets.

“Sorry!” A voice spoke from across the room. The alarm abruptly shut off and Catra poked her head out. Her roommate, Adora, was walking over to the closet, clearly getting dressed for something.

“What time is it? Catra’s sleepy voice made its regularly scheduled appearance.

“It’s 8:30. Sorry I woke you up! I promised my friend I would meet her for breakfast at 9.” The blonde’s voice was slightly muffled through the closet door.

“It’s fine. I should probably get up anyways.” She rolled out of bed and unplugged her phone, checking for any messages. Her adoptive mom had apparently called her last night. She must have forgotten about the time difference. The closet door creaked open and Adora stepped out. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail again, and she wore a dark blue shirt underneath her lightwash overalls. She had on a pair of red boots with white stripes up the side. She also had on a gold necklace with a blue gem.

“I’ll see you later?” Adora sounded unsure of herself as she grabbed a small red backpack and headed towards the door.

“Bye Adora.” Catra spoke as she headed towards the closet. She heard the door click shut and decided to try and get ready for her day.

  * ••

Adora walked through the busy campus until she got to the small coffee shop Glimmer had texted her they were meeting at. She walked through the door and found herself surrounded with all sorts of delicious smells. The coffee shop looked pretty busy, which must have meant it was good. She scanned the tables for Glimmer and eventually found her. The girl was sitting at a table, completely occupied by her phone. Fuck, reports must already be up. Either that or Angella was texting her. Adora made her way over, plopping down on the opposite side of the table. Glimmer pushed a mug over to her, distracted.

“So, what’s it say?” She asked.

“They’ve decided to call me Crescent. Crescent! How the hell does that make any sense?” She groaned, slamming her phone onto the table.

“I mean, it could have to do with the crescent moon emblem that you have on your cloak?” Adora pointed out, picking up Glimmer phone and deciding to read the article.

**Newcomers Save New York from a Robot**

**Yesterday, a large, circular robot made its presence known and attacked just outside of Etheria University. While students fled the scene, a crime fighting duo appeared. A tall blonde woman with a sword and a short woman wearing a hood fought off this “bot” as the local students have been calling it. Videos of the fight have been posted all over social media. **

**The smaller woman, or Crescent, as many people have begun calling her, wielded a staff and powers of teleportation. She dubbed the taller woman “She Ra”, a name that has already taken off. Below are pictures of the attack, taken by amateur photographer Scorpia Clahe. If you want to see videos of the attack, we have compiled them ** **here** **. **

**To She Ra and Crescent, if you’re reading this: Thank you**

**Read More?**

“They… they liked us?” Adora muttered in wonderment.

“Course they did! We saved them from a bot!” Glimmer smiled and tore off a piece of her bagel, dipping it in the cream cheese packet she had been provided.

It was strange to be appreciated for the thing Adora truly hated herself for.

  * ••

“I told you it would pay off to take those photos! Entrapta, don’t you think it was a great idea?” Scorpia was sitting on her bed. Catra had decided to visit her best friends, but this seemed to be the only area of topic.

“I think that Catra made a good decision to take a piece of the bot. Do you know how rare fully automated weaponry is? IT’S INCREDIBLE! Whoever built this must be very talented.” Entrapta was sitting at her desk, her pair of goggles secured over her eyes. She was a short girl with long purple hair that she normally pulled into pigtails. Currently, she was wearing a loose purple shirt that proclaimed “Robotics Team Captain” and a pair of grey sweatpants with grease stains all over them. Entrapta was brilliant with machines, which is why Catra had grabbed a small piece of the bot. While everyone else had been distracted by the disappearing heroes, she had snuck over and pulled off part of its leg, hiding it in her bag. She figured that Entrapta might have been able to get some fingerprints off the thing and maybe get some concrete information about wherever this thing came from. Also, her best friend would have killed her if she hadn’t gotten some piece off of it. 

“Anything?” Scorpia asked, spinning around in her desk chair. 

“Many things. But nothing about the location or how this thing operates. Maybe if you had grabbed a piece of the mainframe instead of a leg…” Entrapta pulled the welding goggles off her face and looked at the dissected bot.

“So… who’s up for lunch?” Scorpia asked as Entrapta scanned the code she downloaded off the leg. 

“Yes, this program will take a bit to run, so let’s get something.” Entrapta let the goggles hang around her neck and grabbed her laptop. Scorpia grabbed her purse and keys, and the three girls headed out the door. 

  * ••

Adora made sure her blonde hair was pulled securely in a ponytail as she and Glimmer ran across campus to Bow’s dorm. He was finally at Etheria University, his dads bringing him two days before class would start. 

Bow’s dad Lance was pretty calm, but George was extremely uptight and worried. If the girls weren’t perfectly presentable, he would be upset, which would make Bow upset. And Adora hated making Bow upset. He was one of her best friends, and Glimmer’s childhood best friend. 

They finally got outside the dorm and heard the telltale click of a door opening. Adora was greeted with the welcome sight of Bow. He wore a cropped blue tee shirt and tight jeans with a pair of combat boots. 

“GLIMMER! ADORA!” He pushed the door fully open and enveloped the girls in a hug.

“Bow? Are your friends here?” The voice of Lance carried to the hall. 

“Yeah Papi! Sorry, we’ll come in.” He lead the way inside Glimmer following closely behind and Adora taking up the rear. Bow’s dads were unpacking the room, George setting up the bed and Lance tried to set up Bow’s desk. Bow had a single too. His room was covered in expensive photography equipment, and he had already covered his wall in pictures. Pictures of his brothers, pictures of his dads, pictures of his friends, and pictures of nature. 

Glimmer was immediately pulled into a hug by Lance, and Adora was hugged shortly after. Bow’s tactile nature was very clearly from Lance. 

“It’s good to see you girls.” George commented. His strict, quiet nature made him slightly terrifying. The fact that he was ex-military didn’t help either. 

“You too.” Glimmer smiled at him. Adora quietly viewed the scene from the doorway. 

“Sorry it took us so long to get here. We would have gotten here earlier, but Dad didn’t want me to get hurt by anything attacking.” Bow sent a pointed glance over to George. 

“I don’t want to see you getting hurt. You know that.” George stood up. 

“Don’t worry George! Adora and I won’t let him get hurt.” Glimmer quickly reassured. It wasn’t like they knew about their side job, which was probably a good thing. Adora though Bow might break if his dads didn’t approve of him. 

“Okay, uh Dad, Papi, I think it’s time for you to go.” Bow started shoving his parents out the door. He gave them a quick hug and muttered assurances, promising to FaceTime them later. Finally the door clicked shut and the three of them were alone. 

“I heard you guys fought without me.” He turned to face them. 

“Bow…” Adora started. The boy cut her off by rushing across the room to examine Glimmer. He must have found the bruises, because he pulled her into a hug. Adora looked on from across the room, feeling a little more lonely than normal. Bow and Glimmer had a relationship she couldn’t even imagine having. She was damaged goods, and she knew that. 

“Do you think it’s-” Bow released Glimmer, moving over to Adora, hugging her as well. She could tell it wasn’t as tight as how he had hugged Glimmer, but it was still comforting. 

“No, I don’t. It didn’t feel like her. I would have known.” Adora spoke, relaxing into the hug. 

“Yeah, the bot, it wasn’t dark. It didn’t have that weirdass feeling she does. The darkness… I’m just saying I would have felt it, or Adora would have felt it.” Glimmer assured him. The three of them collapsed on the bed, overwhelmed by a memory teenagers never should have had. 

“So… who wants Chinese.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof this is my last chapter for two weeks
> 
> I will post as soon I’m back though, so prepare for some content as soon as I’m back
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	3. You're so Mature! Thanks, it's the Tramua

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG
> 
> I was away for two weeks so I couldn't edit and I was busy all day today so I couldn't edit then either and I just finished editing now and yeah
> 
> Anyways, enjoy

Catra thought it was a bit odd that her roommate didn’t come back that night. It wasn’t like she could judge though. Weird hours were something she had been accustomed to when she was in foster homes. 

The blonde had crept in around nine the next morning. She had been wearing an oversized blue sweatshirt that clearly wasn’t hers and a pair of baggy sweatpants. Obviously she had stayed at someone’s dorm, but Catra didn’t question anything. Adora was quiet as she plugged in her phone, clearly going through something.

As Adora plopped down on her bed, there was a knock at the door. Catra stopped messing around on her guitar and went up to go answer it. She opened the door to reveal Entrapta, out of breath and shaken about, clearly she had run here. Her goggles were still over her eyes, and her pigtails were clearly messed up. She must have been twisting them, like she usually did while waiting. She hadn’t even remember to put on shoes. 

“Catra! I’ve made the most fascinating discovery! It’s truly incredible! I can’t- oh, hi!” Entrapta noticed Adora, who was sitting awkwardly on her bed.

“Hi?” The questioning tone of Adora’s voice made itself clear to Catra. 

“Oh, you’re very tall.”

“Sorry Adora, we’re heading out.” She turned and faced her roommate, smiling. Adora was clearly tired. Much too tired to be dealing with Entrapta and her energy bursts.

“Oh, cool…” She sat back down looking much more relaxed. The look in her eyes screamed ‘thank you’. Catra grabbed her backpack and ran down the hall after her best friend. 

  * ••

Adora could cry. She hated whenever they talked about… it. Glimmer said it was because she had PTSD. She didn’t. Okay, she was not fine, but she was functioning. As long as she could fight- well, isn't that all that mattered?

Adora curled up on her bed, taking long slow breaths. Hoping she could calm down enough to head somewhere for food. Maybe she could just calm enough to take a shower, or brush her hair, that would be enough. At least she had her laptop. Adora carefully opened it up and typed in her password. She opened up Netflix, trying to come up with something lighthearted to watch. She normally was a romcom girl, but they usually had some sort of drama she couldn’t exactly deal with right now. Still, she had to watch something to keep her mind off of it. A Disney movie? No, the parents usually died, and with her current state of mind? Not good. Incredibles hit too close to home with her powers. Maybe… 

Adora was jolted out of her thoughts by a buzzing phone. Fuck, now? She couldn’t believe this was happening. 

  * ••

“You expect me to believe this thing runs on magic?” Catra blurted as Entrapta read off the screen. 

“No, I’m telling you. This machine… the metal outsides are the only mechanics it has! It’s incredibly fascinating.” She practically cooed. There was no one who could get more excited about machinery than Entrapta. 

“Magic? That sounds so cool. Can you imagine what we could do with that? The applications? Man, we could save lives!” Scorpia exclaimed. Catra couldn’t tell what sort of statistics were on the computer screen, and frankly, she didn’t care. She sure as hell didn’t believe it was magic. 

A crash shook the building. 

The bots must have come back. Scorpia grabbed her camera and her jacket, running out the door. Catra ran after her, grabbing her backpack. 

“GRAB SOME MORE PIECES FROM THOSE BOTS!” Entrapta called as they ran outside towards the group of people gathering. She Ra, and Crescent were back, and they were dealing with another bot. It fired at the heroes, but was agile enough to avoid the blasts. She Ra flew around its head, smacking her sword against the metal, or trying to. It looked a bit tougher than before, which was weird. It was definitely more agile. Catra noticed Scorpia creep closer to the bot to take her pictures. Damn it. She loved her best friend, but sometimes she was an idiot. 

Catra moved fast, ducking through the crowd and grabbing Scorpia’s leg. 

“How dumb are you? Do you want to get killed? It’s just a stupid photo!” She hissed, pulling her back. 

“People want photos! Plus, there’s a new hero.” Scorpia pointed to the rooftop. A figure clad in gold and white stood, aiming their bow at the bot’s sensor. Clever hands let the arrow fly straight to its target, just as Scorpia took the picture. She must have snapped her camera the same second the arrow hit its mark because the next thing that happened was the thunk of the bot hitting the ground. Crescent quickly snatched the core, teleporting somewhere, and coming back without it. Then she went up to the rooftop and disappeared with the archer. She Ra flew off, leaving a mess of the bot for campus cleanup to deal with. 

  * ••

Adora flew in through the open window. Hopefully Bow would be able to bandage up her hand. It wasn’t like the wound was gushing blood, but someone was bound to notice. And the fact that it looked burned? She must have gotten hit by the laser towards the end of the fight. Or her adrenaline had kicked in.

“Adora!” Glimmer launched off the bed, pulling her friend over. Having not detransformed yet, Adora’s size dwarfed Glimmers, yet at the state she was in her small friend could easily move her. Adora felt her power leave her and shrunk back to her normal height. She suddenly felt kind of woozy. Was that normal?

“Woah woah woah…” Glimmer and Bow both made moves to catch her. 

“I don’t feel so good.” Adora muttered. 

“I think you used too much power back there.” Glimmer helped her onto the bed and Bow went to go get his ace bandages. 

“I know my limits.” She whispered, falling backwards onto the bed. 

“Clearly...You weren’t exactly thinking today.” Bow made his way over, beginning to clean the wound. 

“’m fine.” She said followed by a gasp as her hand began to sting harshly.

“You really aren’t. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this off when we fight. What is going on with you?” Glimmer questioned. Adora took a deep breath. 

“I’m fine, just please… lay off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to catpaws-and-inkdots for being an amazing editor
> 
> She dealt with my run ons and shitty grammar (a true hero)
> 
> You can check her writing out on tumblr [here](https://catpaws-and-inkdots.tumblr.com/)


	4. Just a Bit of a Trainwreck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I prewrote a bunch of chapters, and this is the last of them
> 
> Let the stress begin

This was the second time Catra had woken up and her strange, blonde roommate wasn’t home. Whatever, it wasn’t like Adora was her responsibility. Catra moved around the room, getting her things ready for class. She grabbed her laptop and stuffed it in her bag. Most likely no time for food since she had to get to class. Grabbing her keys and slipping on her boots, she ran out the door to try and find her classroom. 

The quad was full of students like her, moving throughout the lawn. Almost there, she ran into someone. Literally, ran into someone. 

There was a girl on the ground who was shockingly familiar. She had light brown hair with an undercut and grey eyes. She wore a tight red tank top with skintight black jeans and a pair of black sneakers. 

“Lonnie?” Catra questioned. Her old foster sister dusted off her clothes and stood up. 

“Yeah, don’t look so surprised.” Her southern accent was as strong as ever. 

“I thought you were staying with- in Frighton?”

“No, got out of that hellhole as soon as possible. You did the same, you just got lucky enough to get out with a family.” Lonnie fiddled with her charm bracelet as she spoke, sounding annoyed as usual. Lonnie and Catra had never really gotten along as kids, possibly because Sharon had always encouraged a rivalry. 

“Lonnie it’s not my-”

“No, I know it’s not. Doesn’t mean I want to become friends.” She shoved past Catra as fast as possible. 

Great, just a great start to her day. 

  * ••

Adora was lucky that Glimmer kept a spare pair of clothes for her. She did the same in her dorm, but she doubted her best friend would ever need it. 

She wore navy dress pants and a flowey yellow top with a pair of gold sandals and her blazer. It had been drilled her into her at a young age to always dress her best on the first day of school. She was feeling better today, which was surprising considering how she was yesterday. But that was just how she was. Good moods and bad moods were exchanged very quickly. 

She wasked into the building, knowing that the first day would probably consist of a lecture on the expectations of the class. Moving to the front row of the lecture room, she plopped her bag down and pulled out her iPad. The school board had wanted to make sure that she had all the best technology for her experience at their school. Pressing the notes app, she waited for the teacher to come in. One thing she noticed was her roommate slink in, going to the back of the room. Adora had barely spent any time getting to know the girl she had to share a room with. Probably had left a bad impression yesterday when she came in wearing someone else’s clothes, looking like she did. And the fact that she hadn’t gone back to the room this morning but still had a fresh set of clothes. God, the last thing Adora wanted was to already have a reputation before class had officially started. 

  * ••

Blondie was in her first class at this school. She was dressed up and looked pretty prepared for the day, despite how she had seemed yesterday. She had a brand new iPad, which meant she must have come from a rich family. 

Catra couldn’t concentrate on class. Not like this one mattered anyway. The teacher was just talking about policies, which could easily be learned later by looking at the handout that had been given to her. 

“Miss Cyra, are you paying attention?” She jolted out of her thoughts to pay attention to her professor. 

“Yes Professor.” She smiled, doing her best to get the woman to not punish her or ask too many questions. She heard a snicker from across the classroom. Great, that was exactly what she needed today. 

“Do you have something to say Miss Weaver?” Professor Chase snapped her head in the direction of the laugh, clearly having already pinpointed it. 

“Sorry Professor, something in my throat.” Lonnie’s southern twang sounded from across the class room. 

“Now, no one else has any comments, I’d like to continue.” She turned back to the board, beginning to start going over the material yet again. Ugh… this wasn’t the best day for Catra. 

  * ••

“So apparently my roommate’s full name is Catra Cyra.” Adora told Bow as they walked into the cafe from a few days ago. 

“How did you not already know that?” Bow asked. 

“I haven’t exactly had anytime to get to know her? You know I’ve been staying in your room and Glimmer’s room.” She pointed out. They walked over to the table where Glimmer was waiting, drinking her iced coffee. 

“Hey,” She smiled. 

“Did you hear what she did?” Bow started, plopping down in the seat next to Glimmer. 

“What idiotic thing did you do now?” She muttered, passing her fries over to her friends. 

“She’s freaking over learning her roommate’s last name.” Bow exclaimed. 

“Adora!” Glimmer groaned. Her friend was clearly full of sarcasm and annoyance today. Probably the start of school. She had never really been that into it.

“Hey Adora,” A voice she had only heard a few times spoke up. Catra walked up to the table smirking. 

“Catra? What’re you doing here?” Adora tilted her head questioningly. 

“Uh… I wanted food? My friend said that it’s pretty good.” She gestured over at two people sitting at a table. One was a tall, muscular woman with short white hair and the other was a short woman with purple pigtails. 

“Catra? Who is this?” The white haired woman spoke. She wore a black bomber jacket with a tight maroon dress and black booties. 

“That’s her roommate.” The pigtail woman was wearing a grey sweatshirt with purple pajama pants and a pair of sneakers. 

“Talking about me to your friends?” Adora teased. 

“What? No? Entrapta just saw you in the room and-“

“Relax, I’m teasing. Anyways, it was nice to see you.” Adora smiled and watched as Catra waved and walked back to her friends. She was a bit strange, but honestly, so was Adora. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaw it’s time to start the slow burn
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoyed 
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	5. Disney Movies

Catra could feel the blush fighting it’s way into her cheeks. She knew exactly what was coming once she got back to the table. 

“Sooooo… that’s your roommate.” Scorpia was smirking. Never a good sign. 

“Yeah she’s-” 

“She’s cute.” Entrapta interrupted. Catra raised an eyebrow. 

“What? It’s an objective fact.”

“Entrapta’s right, she is cute. If you don’t date her, I will.” Scorpia remarked teasingly. 

“Shut up! She’s right there! And I know she’s cute, you’d have to be blind not to. She’s just… not- well I’m not ready to date right now.” Catra murmured. Scorpia sighed and got up. 

“Oh Wildcat! C’mere!” She was pulled into a death grip, aka Scorpia’s version of a hug. 

“No stop! I’m fine! Put me down!”

“No no no! That awful woman had really drilled her philosophy into you, hadn’t she?” Scorpia was cradling her now. They were in public, why was this happening? Catra didn’t need this. She could feel people staring. 

“Scorpia! Put. Me. Down.” She growled. Her best friend obliged and lowered her back into the seat.

Catra blushed and slunk down into her seat. Goddamn Scorpia and her stupid fucking cuddle tendencies. The waiter brought over a black coffee, a plate of fries, mini cupcakes (Entrapta was weirdly obsessed with small food), a green tea, a basket of chicken nuggets, and a Sprite. Catra immediately swiped her fries off the tray and drank her coffee. So fucking what if she burned her tongue? She did not want to deal with anyone's weird looks or conversation starters.

  * ••

Adora was a little confused as to why the muscular girl had picked up and cradled Catra, but she had decided not to question it. Glimmer took one look at the scene and smirked, sipping her iced coffee. Bow had made a little groan of second hand embarrassment and then carefully averted his eyes from the scene.

“So… what do we think of Catra?” Glimmer eventually spoke. Adora had hoped they would have let her roommate go by without any comment, but nope. She should have known her luck sucked.

“Why are you doing this?”

“What? Oh do you mean giving my opinion on the girl my best friend lives with?” Glimmer smirked way too much to be considered remotely innocent. 

“I’m confused as to why she got cradled in public.” Bow pointed out. 

  * ••

Catra moved out of the cafe and followed her friends back to their dorm. Luckily, it wasn’t too far of a walk. The girls weaved through the crowds eager to get out of the sun. Entrapta burned easily, and though Catra didn’t, she still winced in sympathy at the thought of sunburns. 

The building was empty, which was a welcome change from the days before. Catra assumed it was because most of the freshmen were wandering around campus, trying to make an impression. She didn’t even think about trying to stand out. She had always thrived in the shadows. Because Catra couldn’t get the recognition she had craved as a child, she had learned how to use her anonymity. Although, that wasn’t the best for her career preference. 

Catra plopped herself down on Scorpia’s bed since Entrapta had set up the projector for her wal. The trio had decided to marathon Disney movies back when they had first met in middle school. Ever since then, they would sing along to the songs and point out plot holes. Today they were starting with Tangled because “it’s the most interesting sciencewise”. Catra was starting to regret letting Entrapta pick the movie. 

“Catra! Go grab your guitar!” Scorpia yelled. Entrapta was lying upside down and enthusiastically nodding. 

“You’re assuming I have all of the chords to these songs memorized.” She pointed out. 

“I know you do. We’ve done this so many times and you’ve always mimed playing.” 

“Ugh fine. Toss me your keys so I can let myself in.” Catra groaned as she pulled herself off the bed and went back to her dorm to grab her guitar. It was only a floor away, but she didn’t feel like taking an elevator. 

Catra dug through her bag and unlocked the door, moving to the corner of her side of the room. Adora wasn’t there. She was probably with the small girl. Were they dating? Or was Adora with the boy? Not that she cared. No, Adora was her roommate, they hadn’t even spent anytime together. Not that Catra wanted to. 

She grabbed her guitar and went back to Scorpia and Entrapta’s room. The two girls were lying on the bed, Entrapta’s head in Scorpia’s lap. The bigger girl had a habit of braiding her friend’s hair and Entrapta claimed it was “comforting”. 

Sitting with her back against the wall, Catra placed her fingers on the strings. She had always loved playing guitar. Scorpia said she was good enough to be a professional, but Catra knew she didn’t have what it took. No, playing guitar was just for fun. She heard the beginning of the first song began to play and she closed her eyes, relying on muscle memory to guide her. It took her a minute to get the rhythm, and then she started singing along. 

_ “Seven am, the usual morning lineup,” _

  * ••

Adora went into her room, leaving Glimmer and Bow alone to talk. She knew they had missed each other, but they hadn’t gotten any individual time to hangout. She would gladly give it to them since she didn’t really feel like being grilled over a girl she didn’t even know. Speaking of which, where was Catra? Adora had seen her leave the cafe before her, but she wasn’t in the room. She could still be with her friends. Maybe-

_ “-again and by then it’s like 7:15!”  _ Guitar music and a gorgeous voice reached Adora’s ears. From the sound of it, someone was playing along to Tangled. Adora found herself happily listening to the person sing. 

Sparkles ✨

_ (4:31) Your dorm isn’t under mine right? _

**(4:54) No? **

**(4:54) Why?**

**(4:55) Is something wrong?**

_ (4:56) No, nothing’s wrong. I just had to double check _

**(4:56) Adora what the fuck**

**(4:57) You better tell me what’s going on**

_ (4:59) Someone’s singing _

**(4:59) That’s it?**

**(5:00) Just tell them to go shut up**

_ (5:00) No it’s not bad _

**(5:01) …**

**(5:01) Are they singing Tangled?**

** _(_ ** _ 5:02) How did you know? _

**(5:02) Because you’re weirdly obsessed with Tangled**

**(5:02) You could probably hear a dog howling to Tangled and say it was good**

_ (5:03) GLIMMER _

**(5:03) You know I’m right**

_ [Read 5:03] _

Archer Man ⭐️

_ (5:03) Do I have a weird obsession with Tangled? _

**(5:04) Yeeiegosbdha**

**(5:04) Sorry, that was Glimmer**

**(5:04) But I agree with her**

_ (5:06) I don’t like Tangled that much _

**(5:06) Stop lying to yourself**

_ (5:07) Glimmer, get off Bow’s phone _

**(5:07) He’s in the bathroom**

**(5:07) And he won’t care**

**(5:08) Sorry, I’m back**

**(5:09) But yeah, you do like Tangled**

**(5:09) A lot**

_ [Read 5:09] _

  * ••

“ _ Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, _ ” Catra strummed the guitar, watching as Rapunzel healed Flynn’s hand. Entrapta had given up on the physical impracticalness after Rapunzel propelled herself down the tower. Scorpia had shushed each time, and was enthralled in the cartoon. Not that Catra wasn’t. She had to admit, she enjoyed watching the blonde haired Disney Princess a lot more than she let on.

“ _ Make the clock reverse bring back what once was mine. What once was mine. _ ” She finished the last note, finally figuring out that her friends hadn’t been singing. 

“That was really good.” Scorpia smiled, a phone in front of her. She had been recording. Entrapta had a small smile on her face as Scorpia tossed her the phone. What were they planning?

“I can see the question on your face. Ask Scorpia as I am otherwise occupied.” Entrapta piped up a she connected the phone to her computer

“’Trapta, we have a rule about computers during movie night for a reason.” Catra pointed out. 

“Scorpia said I could and because she is the one who created that rule, I believe it is fine.” She typed as Flynn freaked out onscreen. 

“Scorpia…” Catra began. 

“You’re super talented Wildcat.” Scorpia smiled and went back to looking at the movie. 

“No.” She glared at Scorpia. She knew what they had been doing now. These dumbasses had uploaded a video of her singing to Tangled. 

“Sorry Wildcat. It was for your own good. You could get discovered and do so much with your talent.” Scorpia insisted. 

“You can’t just-”

“If I may, I would like to point out the fact you’ve expressed interest in uploading your covers to YouTube before. You just had been too afraid. I also calculated a 96.3% chance that you would be happy about this decision in the future.” Entrapta didn’t look up from her screen once. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death 
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	6. Chapter 6

Adora watched as her mother, Mara, swung her sword at a woman with shadows for hair and blood red robes. Her mom’s light brown hair was loose around her shoulder, her brown eyes sparkling with determination. She wore an armored white bodysuit with a white domino mask. Her red cape rippled in the wind as she fought, looking as though it had a mind of its own. Her mom stabbed at the figure as Adora looked on in horror. The other woman flicked her hand and shadows grabbed her mom. If Adora has been able to see the shadow woman’s face, she bet she would have been smiling. Mom cried out in pain, forced to drop the sword. Adora ran toward, not willing to let her mom fight alone. 

“Ah ah ah, this isn’t a fight for little girls.” The shadow woman waved her hand, forcing Adora back. Then she clenched her hands into fists and the shadows ate away ate her mom’s features. Slowly, Mara Eternia became nothing but a necklace and a domino mask. The shadow woman finally let go of the shadow’s holding Adora back. 

“Who are you?” She cried. The woman turned to her, and cooed, as if she felt bad for the crying twelve year old. 

“Why, I am Shadow Weaver.” The woman vanished, leaving Adora to deal with what she had seen. 

“MOM!” She yelled. 

Suddenly she jolted up in her bed, hitting something. 

“Ow!” A voice cried from the floor. Adora took a deep breath and realized where she was. She looked onto the floor and found her roommate rubbing her head. Catra wore a pair of red sweatpants and a tank top that stated “Be Gay, Do Crime”. 

“Sorry!” Adora exclaimed. She jumped out of her bed and helped Catra up.

“Next time you start screaming in the middle of the night, I’m just gonna let you.” She heard the girl mutter. 

“I’m sorry I woke you up.” Adora blushed, embarrassed she could be so weak. 

“It’s fine, you- it’s fine.” Catra turned the light on. Adora winced, letting her eyes adjust. Somehow, Catra had known she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep after her nightmare. 

“Thank you.” Adora smiled weakly. 

“Yeah. It’s no problem. I’m not just going to let you flail in whatever hell you were trapped in.” Adora considered leaving to find Glimmer, but it was too late, she didn’t want to bother her. 

“You wanna watch a movie?” Adora asked. Catra tilted her head. 

“You… yeah sure.” Adora opened up her laptop, loading Netflix. 

“What do you want to watch?” She looked over at the girl next to her, feeling like this had been a bad idea. 

“Have you ever heard of Legends of Tomorrow?” Catra said with a smirk. 

“No?”

“The first season is okay, but after that… its iconic.” 

  * ••

At some point in their Legends binge, Catra must have fallen asleep. When she woke up, her head was resting on Adora’s shoulder as the blonde stared in shock at some of the Legends being left behind. 

“Adora?” She questioned. 

“Hey Catra. This show is half decent.” She smiled, a far cry from how she had been before. Before she woke her up, Adora had been tossing and turning, screaming for her mom. Catra knew better than to pry. Still, she couldn’t help but be a little curious about what caused her roommate that pain. 

The Scorp

**(8:32) Are we still on for breakfast**

**(8:37) Catra, I’m really sorry**

**(8:38) I know Entrapta and I broke some boundaries, but it was for your own good**

_ (8:40) I’m doing something _

_ (8:40) Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow _

**(8:41) Catra I’m sorry**

_ (8:42) I know you are _

Catra shifted her weight on the bed, wondering if she could convince Adora to go with her to breakfast. Though the blonde didn’t look nearly as bad as she did before Catra had fallen asleep, she still had a rough night. Still, maybe a distraction could help. 

“Hey, do you want to go get some breakfast?” Catra questioned. Adora jumped a bit, surprised. 

“Yeah, let me get changed and take a shower. I’m pretty sure I smell disgusting.” She paused the episode and left with her toiletries, leaving Catra to question all of the decisions she’d ever made. 

  * ••

Adora felt a million times better after she showered. Maybe watching that show had helped a bit too. Whatever helped, she was just glad it did. She went back to her room to find Catra running out the door. 

“What’s wrong?” She called. 

“There’s another bot and my dumbass best friend is gonna get herself killed.” Catra called back. 

Well shit. There goes Adora’s morning. 

She raced back into the room, pulling her sword out from under the mattress. She didn’t really understand why it made her transform, but it honestly didn’t even matter. Running out to find somewhere to fly in from, Adora didn’t even care about stealth. She could hear the lasers being fired. If someone got hurt, that was on her. 

Finally, she flew out a window and entered the battle. Glimmer was already hitting the thing with her staff, her hood threatening to fall off. Adora leapt into battle, flying into the stupid bot with all her strength. It didn’t do much else other than knock it over, but that gave her the opening she needed to stab the sensor. Before she could, a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and blocked the sword. 

A woman wearing a red armored bodysuit stood next to the bot. Her light brown hair was twisted into a bun, and she was levitating off the ground. Her hand were covered by a pair of black gloves, and she wore a black belt with a few pointy objects on it. A red domino mask was tied onto her face with black string.

Adora was so surprised at her sudden appearance that she forgot about the bot. The stupid thing smashed into her as soon as she turned away. 

Glimmer gave a war cry and teleported right next to the woman. She swung her staff right at her forehead, attempting to knock her out. The woman blocked it with a hand, sending Glimmer’s weapon flying. 

Adora moved back into the battle, going for the woman first. She knew she wouldn’t be able to take out the bot without getting rid of her. As soon as she realized that, the bot sent another laser into the crowd. Damnit. 

“Crescent, Archer, Do you copy?” She murmured, hoping she remembered to put her comm in. 

“I copy.” Bow’s voice spoke. 

“I need you to hit the bot’s core as soon as I knock it down. Crescent, I’m sorry, but I need you to engage that woman again. I’ll get the bot down. Get ready.” Adora twirled her sword as she kicked off the pavement, flying full speed towards the bot. She knew she’d be able to get it down for Bow. She heard Glimmer’s blasts sounding and knew she was dealing with the hostile. 

A heavy clunk sounded as she hit the bot and sent it tumbling down. She heard the whistle of air as an arrow hit straight through the core of the bot, knocking out its mainframe. Now Adora could deal with the woman. 

“Ugh,” She heard the woman speak. 

“Before any of y’all try to give me some dumb name, let’s get one thing straight. I’m Whirl Wind, and your new heroes can’t protect this city from me.” Whirl Wind smirked and flew upwards. She also set off a gust of wind, making her impossible to fly after. Adora had tried, but she kept getting blown back. How the hell was she supposed to fight Whirl Wind when the woman was clearly stronger than her?

Damnit, Adora really didn’t need this today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, it’s time for a villain
> 
> Anyways I hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because I gives me the motivation to keep writing


	7. Aliens?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah this chapter took a bit of time to get written because I had no idea where I was taking it. Hopefully next chapter will be longer

“Do we have anything on her?” Bow asked over speakerphone. Adora and Glimmer had skipped class to try and search for information, but Bow insisted he had to go in order to run damage control on articles. Bow was a journalism major, and he usually wrote articles for their little team. Back when they had been a hometown phenomenon, he always made sure they got all the information first.

“Nothing has been released yet, but we’ll keep looking.” Glimmer commented. She was on her laptop. Adora was looking at a page titled **She Ra and Crescent vs Whirl Wind**. It didn’t really have any new information, besides theories. The theories weren’t great, but maybe some of them had some grounds in reality. 

“Glim, look at this one. Oh my god its so funny.” Adora passed her own laptop over to her best friend. The theory read:

**The current theory our office has is that Whirl Wind is an alien. That would explain the high tec “Bots” and her immense powers. Local students have trended “Who is Whirl Wind” and we at Dragons Daughter believe that she is an Alien**

-****Sea Hawk****

“Oh my god!” Glimmer started laughing. 

“If she’s an alien, so am I!” The blonde doubled over on her bed. 

The girls kept laughing throughout their search. At one point, Glimmer left the room to grab some lunch, bringing it back as Adora searched some more. When Glimmer came back, she carried two iced coffees and a pizza. Adora reached for her wallet, intent on paying her back. Glimmer simply swatted her hand away and insisted she had it. Sometimes Adora forgot that Glimmer came from money. Her mother was a very successful politician as well as running the business her father had left behind. She had inherited her mother's ambition and her father’s drive. Adora could never hope to be as successful as Glimmer’s mom. 

A few moments later, Bow barged into Adora’s dorm. 

“I analyzed the videos that got put up.” He spoke, plopping down next to Glimmer. 

“And?”

“Not much, but I did notice a few weaknesses we can target if she comes back.” He opened up his tablet, showing them a detailed slideshow. He had looked at the composition of Whirl Wind’s armor, and the way she moved in it. 

“Okay, so it’s highly defensive, but somehow lightweight? Whoever designed this put a lot of effort into making sure it was fool proof.” Glimmer comment. 

“See, that’s the thing. They did, which means that any flaw we might uncover isn’t planned. Which means they missed something.” Adora muttered. 

“But they did. Whirl Wind has a belt.” Bow circled something. 

“Yeah, with all sorts of pointy objects on it. How exactly is that a weakness?” Glimmer asked. 

“If we can get a hold of the belt, we might be able to track her. She likely doesn’t use the gloves when she attaches the belt.”

  * ••

Catra wouldn’t say she was hiding. No, staying in the library instead of heading back to her dorm was smart. She could monitor the stupid video that had been uploaded. She definitely wasn’t trying to avoid any place Scorpia or Entrapta would look for her. She tried to ignore the buzzing of her phone, but eventually her curiosity won out. 

Super Pal Trio 

**The Scorp (12:32): Catra where r u**

**The Scorp (12:33): Trapta and I r getting worried**

**Traps (12:33): I calculate a 83% likelihood she is in the library**

**The Scorp (12:34): I don’t think she knows where the library is**

**The Scorp (12:34): Sorry that was mean**

**The Scorp (12:34): I didn’t mean it **

**Traps (12:35): Holes, digging… however the saying goes**

_ [Ignored 12:35] _

Mama Clahe 

**(12:36) Honey, are you okay?**

**(12:36) Are you mad at Scorpia?**

**(12:37) Please call me**

Catra opened up her phone and pressed the call button, hearing the dial tone. Her mom answered almost immediately.

“Catra! I was worried when you weren’t answering. Are you okay?” Her mother’s light tone rang out. Catra did feel bad for worrying her mom, but she still wasn’t ready to talk to Scorpia.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She murmured into the phone.

“I know you’re mad at your sister, but you really should call her. She’s worried.”

“Mom, I’m not really in the mood to talk to her.”

“She knows you’re upset, and understandably so, but please just send her a text.” Catra could hear background noise in the call. Fuck, her mom must be at work.

“Are you working?”

“Always honey. But don’t worry, I’m on break right now.” Her mother was a forensic scientist and was extremely smart. She always found her work super important, but the fact she was focusing on Catra and her stupid issues meant alot. Even though she really shouldn’t be bothering her.

“I’ll let you get back to-”

“No, I want to talk to you. You haven’t called me since before moving in. I want to hear about your life. How’s classes? How’s your roommate? Have you made friends? Come on, give me something.”

“Everything is fine. Class are good, roommate is nice, and no friends yet.”

“Catra, you have to make an effort. I know you aren’t exactly the most social, but it’s good for you. Join a club, go to parties, get a girlfriend.”

“MOM!” Catra protested. The other library patron looked over. “Sorry.” She muttered.

“What? In high school, you had a girlfriend and you enjoyed that. You were so social then. Have you met any cute girls you might be interested in?” Her mom had always been so supportive that it surprised Catra sometimes. When she was younger, she had always dreamed of getting adopted by a parent who would let her gossip about girls the same way that most gossip about boys. And her mom had immediately made her as comfortable as possible.

“No Mom.” she groaned.

“I know that tone. What’s her name?”

“Mom, there isn’t a girl.”

“Uh huh. I have to get back to work. Let me know when you want to talk about her. Love you honey.”

“Bye mom, love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death


	8. An Adventure into Phones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know this is a day later than usually, and I didn’t have time to write a long chapter
> 
> Also my anxiety was acting up so I changed up the format for a bit of a break
> 
> Don’t worry, the normal format will be back next week

Sparkles✨

_ [Called 5:21] _

**(5:27) First of, why the fuck are you awake at this ungodly hour**

**(5:28) and secondly**

**(5:28) You okay?**

_ (5:30) I need a job _

**(5:31) Fucking hell**

**(5:32) You basically already have a job**

_ (5:32) Not one that pays _

**(5:33) You can’t possibly think you can take on extra responsibility right now**

_ (5:33) Glims _

**(5:34) I’ll look for you**

_ (5:34) ❤️ _

**(5:35) Fuck you**

**(5:36) Here’s the link**

_ [Read 5:37] _

  * ••

The Scorp

**(9:00) Alright, I waited until 9 to text you out of courtesy, but please just talk to me**

**(9:01) Catra, I’m really sorry**

_ [Ignored 9:02] _

Mama Clahe

**(9:05) Please talk to your sister **

**(9:05) Catra, you can’t ignore your problems**

**(9:15) Catra Amalia Cyra**

_ (9:15) I’ll talk to her _

The Scorp

_ (9:16) You get five minutes _

_ (9:16) I’ll be at your dorm in ten _

  * ••

**[@Adorable posted]**

_ Hopefully getting a job soon #fingerscrossed _

Comments

**@Angella.Briteo: Proud of you**

**@Glim_sings: I still can’t believe you woke me up at five for that**

**@BowyBoi: Nice, but time management?**

**[@DragonsDaughterNews] **

**New story! We obtained new pictures of our heroes thanks to the hard work of @ClahesPhotos**

Best Friends Squad

**Sparkles✨: (9:34) You saw the new post?**

**Archer Man⭐️: (9:35) Should we be worried **

**Sparkles✨: (9:35) No, I know Sea Hawk**

**Sparkles✨: (9:35) I don’t think we have a reason to be too worried**

_ (9:37) What if he figures it out? _

**Sparkles✨: (9:41) …**

**Sparkles✨: (9:41) have you met the man**

Momgella

**(11:12) Saw your newest post**

**(11:12) I wasn’t aware you didn’t have sufficient funding. I’ll see to it you get more**

_ (11:16) No I’ve got more than enough money _

_ (11:16) the job is me wanting to take on responsibility  _

**(11:17) Adora, I believe you have more responsibilities than anyone should have**

_ [Read 11:18] _

**[Youtube recommends: Tangled Cover- Catra Covers]**

  * ••

**[Youtube recommends: Compelation of all of the hero fights- Dragonfilms]**

**[New Notification: Bot has been sighted]**

The Scorp

_ (1:01) If you are out there for footage I’m killing you _

_ (1:03) Scorp, do not make me get you _

_ (1:05) Damn it _

Mama Clahe

**(2:34) I saw the new footage**

_ (2:38) Please spare me the lecture _

**(2:39) Please be more careful. You don’t know how lucky you are that She Ra pulled you out of the way**

**(2:40) You could have been crushed!**

**(2:41) I want you and your sister staying together tonight **

**(2:42) Just for my sake**

_ (2:42) I’m sorry I worried you  _

_ (2:43) And yeah, I'll stay with Scorpia tonight _

**(2:44) Thank you**

**(2:45) I love you Catra**

_ (2:45) Love you too Mom _

  * ••

Sparkles✨

**(3:41) You know the idiot civilian who almost got killed today was your roommate**

_ (3:42) I know _

_ (3:42) I’m trying to figure out away to check on her _

**(3:42) Just say “hey, saw the fight. Are you okay?”**

**(3:43) Pretty simple**

_ (3:44) Okay but like… _

_ (3:44) She’s too hot for simple  _

**(3:45) I talk to hot girls all the time**

_ (3:45) Like who _

**(3:45) You know Mermista?**

_ (3:46) OH MY GOD _

**(3:46) That’s not what we’re talking about**

**(3:47) Talk to your hot roommate**

**(3:47) Get her number**

_ (3:48) GLIMMER _

The Roomie

**(3:58) Hey Adora, just wanted to make sure this number works**

_ (3:58) Did you think I was gonna give you a fake number or smthng _

**(3:59) Did you actually just abbreviate “something”**

**(3:59) What the fuck**

_ (4:00) It’s faster _

**(4:00) But the full thing is only a few more letters**

_ (4:01) Fair enough  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	9. Sisterly Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I’m gonna try my hand at angst
> 
> I’m getting back into the swing of writing

Catra muttered angrily to herself as she shoved an outfit into her backpack. She really didn’t want to stay over at Scorpia’s dorm, but at the same time, she didn’t want to make her mom worry. She might as well just suck it up and not put it off. Grabbing her keys, she muttered a quick goodbye to Adora and slide out the door. She moved down the hallway as slow as she could and eventually forced herself to knock on the dorm door. The door flew open and Catra was almost knocked over by the force of her sister. Scorpia pulled away, examining her. Her sister had already taken off all of her makeup and was wearing a loose red top with grey sweatpants. 

“Christ. I know I almost got hit in the fight, but this is ridiculous.” Catra muttered. 

“You wouldn’t have been out there if I hadn’t been filming. Catra, you can’t possibly be okay after that. You almost got crushed by a robot!” Scorpia pulled her in. Entrapta’s bed was conspicuously empty, her laptop gone. 

“She Ra saved me. I’m completely fine. Also, where the fuck is Entrapta?”

“She said she had a ‘prior engagement’. I think she had a date.”

“Then wouldn’t she have left her laptop here?” She questioned. 

“Oh, you’re right. Maybe she’s sleeping over at a friend’s? We aren’t the only people she hangs out with.” Scorpia pointed out. Catra shrugged, plopping her shit down near the door. Did she care it could get trampled if Entrapta came back in unannounced? Not really. 

“So, what are we ordering?” Catra asked, pulling out her phone. She may not forgive Scorpia yet, but she was going to act like she had. 

“I don’t know. I’m kind of feeling pizza? Just a thought.”

“Okay, but I get to pick what we watch.” She turned the laptop on and pulled up her netflix account. The question was, did she let her sister know she was angry by watching something scary, or did she watch something light hearted? Catra decided for light hearted and clicked on The Office. Obviously she scrolled passed season one, because season one is shit. Season five was peak Office, but she didn’t want to start there because the girls would obviously be binging all night. Eventually, Catra decided to start with the first episode of season two. 

“-yeah that’s it. Thank you.” She caught the tail end of Scorpia’s order. 

“Did you order garlic bread?” She questioned.

“Of course. We can’t have a good pizza night without garlic bread. Ooh, the Dundies? Such a good episode.” Scorpia threw herself next to her sister and Catra put her phone down, hoping this would help her forgive Scorpia for posting that video. 

  * ••

Adora lied on her bed as Glimmer came in with their food. The smaller girl carried two bags, one smelling of Chinese food and the other most likely their drinks. She sat on the floor, bracing her back against Adora’s bed. The blonde plopped herself onto the floor and opened the bag, excited to get her food. 

“God, I haven’t had Chinese food in forever.” She groaned as she pulled out her cartoon of lo mein. 

“Only cause Mom wanted to try and get some ‘home cooked food’ in us. We both know it’s been at least 6 months since we had takeout.” Glimmer muttered while opening up her laptop, pulling open her email. 

“How is Angella? Constantly texting you to be careful?”

“She’s backed off a bit but she did talk about us during her new press conference. Wanna see?”

“Yeah. Gimme.” Adora made grabby hands at the computer as Glimmer slid it over pressing play on a video. 

Angella stood at the podium, camera flashes going off as she cleared her throat. Her peach colored hair was pulled into a tight bun and she wore a navy blue pantsuit. As usual, a gold ring hung on a chain around her neck. 

“I’ll be taking questions now.” Her British accent sounded clear through the speakers. 

“Governour Briteo, we’ve all heard about your daughter attending Etheria University. How would you say the recent bot attacks have made you feel as a mother and as the governour of this state?” A man with a recorder spoke as the camera angle changed. It quickly flashed back to Angella. 

“As a mother, I have to admit I’m worried. Glimmer is my daughter and with bot attacking her college, I have a right to be worried. But, my daughter has assured my that She Ra and Crescent are handling it and I’m inclined to believe her. My hometown had heroes once and they were able to deal with all sorts of issues.”

“Do you trust these heroes?” A voice shouted out from the crowd. The camera never managed to catch who spoke, but it did catch Angella swallowing. 

“I’ve been given no reason not to. Now, does anyone have any pertinent questions?” The video ended there and Adora looked in question to Glimmer. 

“Do people not trust us?” She wondered allowed. 

“As far as I can tell, they trust us, except for a few cynics. We’ll win ‘em over eventually. Mom and Mara did.” Glimmer spoke calmly, clearly not worried. But Adora couldn’t help but wonder exactly how many people in the city thought they were untrustworthy. 

  * ••

“-and I’m just saying that most people wouldn’t use that money on a Christmas party. So boom, Micheal is a good person, even though he’s eccentric.” Scorpia argued. Catra groaned, staring at the  _ are you still watching?  _ screen. Her sister had been going on about the virtues of Micheal Scott since Catra let it slip she didn’t like him all that much somewhere in episode four. 

“Okay okay, I get it. But no more Office. I’m tired of feel good shit. I want something spooky.” She declared, grinning. 

“No. Come on Catra, no scary movies. You know the rules.” 

“Hey, I didn’t say it was going to be a scary movie. Look, I’m pulling up YouTube now.” 

  * ••

** Why Should We Trust the Heroes? **

**By Lonnie Weaver**

The sound of a mouse click was barely audible over the sound of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

  * ••

“We are not watching Buzzfeed Unsolved. You know I have a hard time sleeping after that.” Scorpia protested. Catra laughed and munched on her popcorn. 

“I haven’t seen the new episode. And it’s not even that scary!” She pointed out, hovering over the title that proudly proclaimed “The Haunted Shadows of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.”

“Fine. I hope this is like the mothman episode.”

  * ••

Adora hands shook as she tugged on her sweatshirt and ran out of her dorm. She grabbed her purse, praying her phone and wallet were in there. Ignoring Glimmer’s sounded of protest, she went into the main part of the city, looking for somewhere, anywhere, she could get her mind off things. 

As she walked down the sidewalk, she noticed a sign advertising a bar called “the Crimson Waste”. Back when she had first decided on Etheria University, she had looked at restaurants and that had been one of the top rated ones. Adora plunged in the door, ignoring the weird look she got from the hostess as she was seated. A waitress came over and plopped a menu on her table. 

_ “Why should we trust She Ra? She vanished without a trace leaving The Angel to deal with everything.” _

_ “She Ra was dumb anyways.” _

_ “Don’t trust superheroes, they let you down.” _

_ “Don’t trust She Ra.” _

_ Don’t trust _

_ Don’t trust _

_ Don’t trust _

_ Don’t tru- _

Adora felt a tear leak out of her eyes. The waitress stared at her. 

“Hon, do I need to call someone?” She questioned. 

“Cynthia, give the kid a break. She’s clearly going through something.” A muscular woman with white hair came over to Adora’s table. She wore a black button up with a black leather jacket and a pair of jeans. Adora noted the police badge hanging on her hip and looked up in question. 

“So, are you gonna order or am I gonna have to guess?” The woman smiled. 

“I-uh… can I get some fries and maybe-” Adora stumbled over her words. 

“They got some great tea here. Should help your nerves.”

“Can I get a tea as well?” She mumbled. 

“Sure thing hon. Huntara, you want your usual?” The waitress asked, tucking her notepad in her pocket. 

“Thanks Cynth.” The woman, Huntara, slid into a chair and looked Adora over. The blonde watched as Huntara’s eyes analyzed everything, from the eyes red from crying to her shaking hands. 

“So, you got a name?” She probed. 

“I’m Adora.” She offered a weak smile. 

“I’m Huntara. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Why are you here?” Adora questioned. 

“Look kid, I’m a cop. It’s not really in my nature to see a crying kid and leave ‘em alone. ‘Specially with everything that’s been going on in this city.” 

_ Don’t trust She Ra Don’t trust- _

Adora’s sniffles started anew. Huntara looked on in confusion. 

“I’m sorry, I just- I’m having a bit of a bad day.”

“Do you wanna talk about it? Normally I’d say keep the touchy-feely away but… you really look like someone who could use some advice from someone older and possibly wiser. So what is it? Parents? Boyfriend? Money? Lay it on me.” Adora took a deep breathe. 

“I-uh, I need a job. Not for money reasons, just to take my mind off things.” She searched Huntara’s face, getting ready for laughter. 

“I can help with that. See, my wife owns this beautiful establishment and I’m sure she’d be more than willing to hire you. Hey Cynthia! Bring out some job forms.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No hero shit this time, but Adora Angst aplenty
> 
> We’re getting deeper to her backstory!
> 
> Oh, and a wild Huntara appeared
> 
> Anyways I hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Please talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	10. It’s Getting Soft in Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No superhero stuff this time, but we got some bonding ahead

Catra was half asleep when her phone started buzzing. She glanced over and noticed that Adora was calling her for some reason. 

“Hey Adora.” She purred into the receiver. 

“Not Adora, but she is here.” The voice of a woman spoke into the phone. 

“Uh, what the fuck?” Catra questioned. She shifted on the bed, carefully leaving Scorpia alone. 

“Look, your friend here feel asleep in my wife’s bar and we both would like to head home for the night. Since you’re saved in this phone as her roommate, I figured you were the best person to call.”

“Yeah, I’ll come get her. Wait, where is she?” 

“The Crimson Waste.” Catra hung up the phone and pulled on her jacket as she left the room, calling herself an Uber. 

She pulled up outside The Crimson Waste and quickly went in. She entered the bar to find Adora sleeping in a booth. A woman was talking to who Catra presumed was the owner. The owner was a woman with dyed red hair pulled into a tight ponytail and a nose ring. She wore a tight pair of jeans with a black apron and a blue graphic tee shirt. 

“Uh I’m here for Adora.” Catra gave a half hearted grin as the woman with white hair came over.

“Can I see some ID?” She asked, hand conspicuously placed to reveal her badge. 

“Yeah.” Catra opened up her backpack, pulling out her wallet. She handed it over, letting the woman look at it. 

“You’re good. And Blondie’s food is on the house.” The white haired woman turned away, her ponytail swishing as she walked. 

“Wait, is she drunk or something?” Catra questioned. 

“No, just sleeping. Kid seems to be going through something. Take care of her, she seems like a good kid.” The white haired woman smiled as Catra went over to her sleeping roommate. 

“Adora,” she spoke gently. Going through something? What the hell did that mean?

“Mmm.” The blonde groaned and swatted in Catra’s general direction. 

“Adora, we gotta get you back to the dorm.” She carefully began packing Adora’s stuff into her purse. Catra then noticed Adora had 5 missed phone calls from someone named “Sparkles”. 

“Don’t wanna.” She whined.

“Damnit.” Catra carefully lifted Adora up bridal style and carried her out the door of the bar to an Uber. 

“Crazy night?” The driver questioned.

“Just take us to Etheria University!” Catra exclaimed, not in the mood for this bullshit. 

Eventually they arrived at their dorm building. Since Adora was still refusing to get up, Catra carried her up the stairs and towards their room. She shifted her weight in an attempt to get her keys out of her pocket. After at least five minutes of trying, she got the keys out and inserted them into the lock. Catra turned the key and was greeted with the sight of a girl with messy purple hair tugging on a pair of combat boots. The girl wore an oversized blue sweatshirt that said “Hell’s Angel”. She wore a pair of grey sweatpants and for some reason, she had a silver ring on her pinky finger. 

“Oh my god! Adora!” The girl quickly rushed Catra, slamming the door in her eagerness to get to her. Catra gently placed Adora on the bed and the short, purple haired girl grabbed her jacket. 

“Did you kidnap Adora?” She growled. For someone so small, she was surprisingly menacing. 

“No. Why the hell would I kidnap my own roommate?” Catra protested. 

“I don’t believe you.” The girl stepped forward. Catra had no idea exactly what she would have done, but at that moment Adora woke up with a scream. 

“Adora!” Catra and the girl exclaimed at the same time. The blonde looked in confusion at her roommate. 

“Catra? I thought you were supposed to be out with your sister.”

“Nah, some lady called me and said you were passed out at her bar.” Catra smirked at her roommate. 

“Adora, did you get drunk?” The short girl yelled. 

“No, I was just tired. Glimmer, you know I wouldn’t.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m gonna head out, okay? Text me if you want to talk… about anything. Okay, literally anything.” The girl, Glimmer, grabbed her bag and walked out the door, which closed with a satisfying click. 

“What the hell kind of name is Glimmer?” Catra questioned. 

“Her name is really Glimma, but people thought since her mom is British, it was Glimmer. So the name kind of stuck.” Adora explained. She looked exhausted. 

“Wait… is her mom Angella Briteo?” She questioned. 

“Yeah. She doesn’t talk about it that much, because of how famous her mom is.”

“Damn. Uh, do you… you seem…do you want me to stay in here so you don’t have to sleep alone?” She rushed out blushing. 

“I… do you mind? I mean, I totally understand if you want to stay with your sister but…” Adora’s face was flushed, clearly embarrassed. 

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it Adora.” Catra smiled before grabbing a pair of pajamas out of her things and getting changed as fast as possible. Adora needed a friend right now, so that was what Catra would be. 

  * ••

_ The place was weirdly well furnished for an underground lair. Adora glanced all around at the gleaming machinery. She moved down the metal halls and stopped right in front of a room. She wasn’t exactly sure why she had stopped, but when she turned, she was great by Whirl Wind. Whirl Wind was speaking to a man wearing a mechanical bodysuit. It seemed almost as if he were more robot than man.  _

_ “-easy enough to defeat. His intel seems to have panned out, which is good. I would like permission to stop reporting to… her.” Whirl Wind’s voice was distorted in the dream.  _

_ “No. You have flourished under her command, and under her command you will stay. Is that clear?” The man spoke.  _

_ “Yes sir.” Adora felt a pull as her body was pulled out of the room and down a hallway. The pull stopped at a door which was locked by an electronic handscanner. Adora pressed through the door, somehow floating through it. She noticed a pristine room with a set of chains. She looked at the chains and yelped. Her mom, in her iconic white bodysuit, was locked in there. Next to her was the woman who had killed her, Shadow Weaver.  _

_ “She Ra jr.” The woman’s tone seemed more sinister than Adora remembered. “Forgive me if I don’t call you She Ra. I believe that title belongs to this lovely woman right here.” Her mom’s hollow eyes stared at Adora. No not at her, through her. “I would like to make it clear that you are only seeing what I’m allowing you to see. For instance, She Ra isn’t really She Ra at all. Simply a prop.” Shadow Weaver flicked her hands and Mom disintegrated. Dust. “Oh was that harsh dear? I feel as though it was a bit harsh.” The woman pressed her palm against Adora’s face.  _

_ “Don’t touch me.” Adora growled, backing out of the woman’s grasp.  _

_ “But dear, how can you speak that way to someone who can bring back a loved one?” Adora swung wildly for Shadow Weaver, but the woman flicked her hand and Adora shot out of her dream.  _

  * ••

Catra woke up pressed against a head of blonde hair. She rolled a bit to discover Adora had slung her arm around her, holding her tightly. It wasn’t… a bad feeling. It was actually pretty comfortable. That was, until Adora woke up screaming. 

“Hey, hey Adora it’s okay. It’s okay I promise.” Catra made eye contact and tried to steady the girl. 

“I-where-she-Catra?” A string of rushed words flew out of Adora’s mouth. 

“You’re probably wondering why I’m in you bed, and the answer is, because your sleep deprived ass pulled me in.” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I-”

“No, I’m just teasing. Well, you did pull me into bed with you, but I wanted to help. And if spooning your needy ass is how I do it, I’ll spoon you.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry I’m such a mess of a roommate. It’s-” Catra reached for Adora and clamped a hand over her mouth. 

“Stop apologizing. It’s fine. If I wasn’t okay it this, it would be happening, understand?” The blonde nodded and Catra smiled at her. Hopefully, they could become friends and, someday, Catra would be able to help Adora for real. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’re soft, okay?
> 
> Hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	11. Plot? I Don’t Know Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m slowly but surely introducing all the necessary characters
> 
> Also, sorry for the short update, I’ve been busy and wasn’t quite able to find time to write

Adora clutched her bag tighter as she headed to class. It was raining today, but she still had to walk. The building was made of brick and was on the edge of campus. It was also fairly big, which meant it would take her longer to get to class. Shit!

She really couldn’t afford to be late to class. Especially this one. Her English class was probably the most important one she was taking that semester. She hurried into the building, narrowly dodging some other students. Eventually, she arrived at the classroom. The only seat left was next to a girl with blue hair. The girl wore a tight blue top and a pair of black jeans with blue sneakers. Adora slid in next to her. 

“Hi Mermista.” She smiled. Glimmer had introduced Adora to Mermista a few years ago at one of her mom’s parties. Mermista was the sarcastic daughter of a wealthy businessman. She got along well with Adora’s friend group, although they didn’t see her often. 

“Hey.” Mermista responded flippantly. That was kind of her natural tone. Adora had learned that over time. 

Adora pulled out her iPad and waited for the teacher to come in. Mermista was absentmindedly tapping her pen against her desk when it looked like something occurred to her. 

“My… friend Sea Hawk is throwing a party later this week and he told me to tell everyone to come. Well, he’s not exactly my friend, but we hang out. Sometimes. I can text you the details.” She pulled out her phone and typed something in. 

The Mermaid

**(9:17) It’s at his house**

**(9:17) he shares it was a bunch of other guys**

**(9:17) [Link delivered]**

**(9:18) there’s the evite**

_ [Read 9:18] _

“He has a blog?” Adora asked incredulously. 

“Yeah, he's a journalism major. Which I guess is cool if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“I mean, it’s pretty cool.”

  * ••

Catra sat relaxed in Coffee Beans. She was meeting Entrapta’s friend here, who apparently needed a cat sitter. Catra needed some money, and she was good with cats. And she didn’t even have classes today, so technically it was a good use of her time. Eventually a girl with bleached blonde hair made her way over to Catra’s table. The girl had her hair pulled back into a loose bun and wore a pink sweater with a light pair of jeans. 

“Hi, I’m Perfuma. Are you Catra?” The girl questioned. 

“That’s me. So, where’s your cat?” 

“Oh, she’s above the shop. My apartments up there. If you could please follow me? My employees will need me back before rush hour.” Perfuma led the way back and up the stairs up to a locked door. Catra could hear the soft sound of claws on the floor. 

The door clicked open and a small blur of grey fur shot out of the door. Perfuma simply bent down and scooped the kitten up before it could make it down the stairs. 

“Hi baby. Don’t worry, mommy got you a sitter.” Perfuma craddled her cat, bouncing slightly. 

“Uh, what their name?” Catra asked awkwardly. She had never met anyone who called themselves ‘mommy’ to a cat. 

“Oh, her name is Lily. She’s a rescue. My Dad got her for me a few months ago.” Perfuma walked into her apartment and Catra followed. She closed the door behind her as the eccentric girl put the cat down. 

“So how long do you need me?” The brunette questioned. She was just now noticing how many plants were in this apartment. 

“Shouldn’t be more than three hours. Lily just gets upset during the morning rush and I don’t want to leave her alone for long. Thank you Catra.” Perfuma smiled widely and went out the door, leaving Catra with a small grey cat to take care of. 

  * ••

The professor finally finished lecturing the class and let them go.

“So, I’m meeting with Sea Hawk for lunch, and he’s bringing his friends from Journalism, so I figured I could invite you.” Mermista fixed her ponytail and Adora nodded. 

“Sure, do you know who he’s inviting?” 

“No, he wanted it to be ‘an adventure’.” Mermista sounded fondly exasperated for once. 

“Fun?” Adora questioned. 

“He’s interesting to say the least.” The girls moved out of the building and headed to the only coffee shop on campus, Coffee Beans. They found their way to a table where Bow sat with who Adora assumed to be Sea Hawk, and his journalism friends. 

Sea Hawk was a tall boy with crazy brown hair and a ridiculous mustache. He had a red bandana tied around his neck and wore a blue vest with a pair of jeans. He sat next to a muscular girl who Adora recognized as Catra’s… friend? Sister? She didn’t know. And finally, there was a pretty girl with light brown hair pulled into a tight braid. Her green eyes analyzed Adora cautiously as the blonde sat down. 

“Why hello there! You must be Mermista’s mate. She texted me saying you would be joining us on our lunch ADVENTURE!” Sea Hawk spoke very enthusiastically. In fact, it was almost like he was too hyper. 

“Oh, you’re Adora. Catra told me about you.” The muscular girl smiled. She seemed genuinely friendly. 

“Catra, huh? Weird how connected to everyone Catra is.” Light brown hair girl spoke. 

“Lonnie,” The muscular girl warned. 

“I know.” The girl, Lonnie, muttered. 

“OH, I’m Scorpia by the way!” The muscular girl extended her hand. 

“Nice to meet you. Uh, why exactly are we hanging out here?” Adora questioned.

“My friend Perfuma owns this place. It’s like her baby or something.”

“FUCK!” A voice sounded clear across the shop as a grey blur started running towards Adora.

What

The

Fuck?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, looks like we might get some Catradora shenanigans in the next update
> 
> Still no superhero action, but it will be back... eventually
> 
> Hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	12. I can Smell the Trauma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so this chapter might get a little dark. If anything too dark bothers you, I highly recommend skipping the italicized parts

Catra watched in horror as Lily squeezed past the small gap in the door and ran down the stairs into the cafe. She cursed wildly, chasing after the kitten as she ran into the cafe. 

“FUCK!” She exclaimed, her boots squeaking on the floor. Catra then noticed a familiar blonde scoop up the troublesome cat. 

“Hey Catra.” Adora murmured as she handed Lily back over. 

“Adora? What are you doing here?” 

“Well, I was out having lunch with my friends, but then there was a cat running across the floor. She yours?”

“I-you-erm no. I’m watching her for a friend.” Catra cradled the cat, making sure the little trouble maker couldn’t escape. 

“Oh, well I was just going to say she’s cute.” Adora stretched her arm out, reaching to pet the cat. 

Suddenly there was an explosion from outside. Adora’s head snapped towards the windows and Catra nearly dropped Lily. Damnit. Perfuma jumped over her work counters, taking charge and ushering everyone to the back of the shop. At some point, Adora must have slipped away from the crowds, because she was nowhere to be seen. 

  * ••

Adora ran towards the explosion, sword in hand. Could she have flown? Yes. Did she like running to try and be in good shape? Also yes. The metallic shine of the bot was clearly evident in the crossroads. Adora flung herself into the air, trying to get on top of the stupid thing. She was there first, which meant she had to try and take it down first. 

BOOM

The ground shook from the force of another explosion, this one right outside the coffee shop. Luckily, a familiar pink blur appeared right next to her. 

“You got this one?” Adora asked. 

“Go save the civilians.” Glimmer assured, nodding her head as she moved towards the bot. Adora took off down the street, trying to get to the cafe as fast as she could. Outside of the cafe was a very familiar civilian with messy brown hair trying to fend off the bot. 

“YOU UGLY PIECE OF SHIT!” Catra yelled as she swung a broken piece of metal piping at the bot. She had ditched her jacket and her hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She moved with the grace of a dancer, leaving Adora temporarily entranced. Then the bot noticed Adora. 

“Oh no,” she muttered as the bot quickly changed targets and scuttled towards her. She just barely dove out of its way in time. Catra kept hitting it with the piping as Adora pulled herself back onto her feet.

“Ca-miss! You’ve should leave now!” She yelled, swing her sword at the bot’s sensor. It moved out of the way. 

“I’m trying to help! You weren’t here and someone had to protect the cafe!” Catra snarked, glaring at her. Adora felt slightly taken aback. How was her roommate able to go toe to toe with the bot while yelling at a superhero. Adora let out a frustrated groan and pushed Catra back, remembering to tone back her strength.

“FUCK YOU!” Catra yelled at her, beginning to swing the pipe wildly. She looked slightly like a crazed animal, and it was at that point that Adora noticed the mark on her shoulder. It was an ugly green, still oozing blood. 

“Are you shitting me?” Adora swore under her breath. 

“I’M NOT A FUCKING CHILD!” Her roommate continued, advancing towards the bot. 

“Archer, Crescent? There’s a civilian who I think is infected with something. I need someone to handle this bot while I get her somewhere safe.” The slight static of the com unnerved Adora. Then, it stuttered to life, Bow’s voice responding. 

“We just finished up here, get her out. We’ll be over.” 

Adora took that as her chance, slinging her sword on her back then picking Catra up. She was cradled in her arms as Adora flew up. Her stupid roommate was flailing in her arms, her nails swinging around wildly. There was no way they could go back to the dorms like this, but there was somewhere else they could go.

  * ••

Fear and Rage. That was all Catra could feel. She felt like she was swimming in a cloud of darkness with no way out. She thrashed in her attacker/captor’s arms. She felt like she was back with Sharon. Maybe she was. 

“FUCK! LET GO OF ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” She cried, trying to scratch whoever had her. Back when she had lived with Sharon, scratching usually meant she was able to escape, but not for long. 

As the wind rushed through her hair, Catra felt herself falling prey to a memory she hadn’t thought about in a long time. 

  * ••

_ Catra ran through the empty old house. Her wild brown hair was pulled back into a tight braid. Ms. Weaver had said that was the best way to make her look presentable. And Catra ran around the house, looking for her foster mom. She had just come back from second grade, which meant she had learned what she had always wondered.  _

_ Catra was always careful to avoid Ms. Weaver’s study. She knew the rules as well as anyone. You weren’t to go in the study unless Ms. Weaver said so. And she rarely said so. Catra had never been called into the office, and she often wondered what was in there. Today, she was especially curious. Her teacher said curiosity was the best way to learn. So Catra ran around the house, making sure Ms. Weaver wasn’t in the study. She carefully edged the door open and slipped inside.  _

_ Ms. Weaver’s study was painted a pale grey and had wooden floors, which didn’t match the carpeting in the rest of the house. The study contained a large wooden desk, a big black chair, a file cabinet, and a fireplace. Catra quietly crept towards the file cabinet, trying to find her own. She carefully pried the drawer labeled ‘a-e’ open. Staring at the files, she looked for the one with her own name. She eventually found it. Her name was written in messy black pen that didn’t look like Ms. Weaver’s writing. Catra slipped the file under her shirt and closed the drawer, and snuck out of the room, intent on reading the file.  _

_ She tiptoed up the stairs into her room. Well, it wasn’t really hers. There were six beds in that room, which meant six girls stayed there. Catra had the top bunk in the bed farthest from the door. She had a small, handsewn red cat with a blue blanket and a pillow on her bed. That was all she had.  _

_ Catra climbed up onto her bed and pulled the file out from her shirt, opening it. She noticed a small polaroid of a young woman with brown hair that was pulled into a bun and there was a baby on her lap. The photo read ‘Rosa and Catra’. She carefully placed the photo under her pillow, intent on reading the file. As soon as it was safely hidden, the door to her room banged open, revealing Ms. Weaver.  _

_ Ms. Weaver was a strict looking woman with black hair and sickly green eyes. She had ashen grey skin and frequently came back to the house looking worse that before. She wore long red robes that she could hide almost anything in and more often that not came back with a male ‘friend’.  _

_ Catra trembled as Ms. Weaver drew neared, smelling the scent of alcohol on her. She must have been out drinking. Again.  _

_ “You insolent child.” Ms. Weaver grabbed Catra’s wrist, wrenching the file out of her hand.  _

_ “I-I-” Catra stumbled over her words.  _

_ “The study is off limits. It seems I must teach you that rule again.” The woman pulled Catra off the bed and carried her downstairs. _

_ Catra screamed through her tears.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...it gets worse before it gets better?
> 
> Yeah, that part was harder for me to write. My heart said write fluff about them tracking down the cat, but my mind said further the plot
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	13. The Avenging Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof we're getting some more backstory as the plot starts ramping up
> 
> Also, it's Catra's birthday, so I laid off the angst

Adora carefully flew in through the open window. Angella’s house about an hour away from the city, but with her powers, Adora could make it in twenty minutes. She carried the writhing girl through the empty house and managed to get the passage to the basement open. She got Catra down the stairs and placed her down carefully on the padded bed. As she was strapping her roommate down, Catra’s nails slashed across Adora’s cheek.

“AH FUCK!” She cried out. As soon as Catra was strapped down, Adora put a hand to her face. Blood. Then she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Adora whipped around, her sword brandished, only to be greeted by none other than Angella Briteo. Her legal guardian wore a pair of black dress pants with a peach blouse. Her hair was currently pulled into a messy bun and Micah’s ring was situated on a silver chain around her neck.

“Adora, put that swor- who is that?” Angella questioned, pointing at Catra.

“LET GO OF ME! LET GO!” Said girl cried, straining against the straps.

“Civilian… and also my roommate. She got infected by something and now she- well she’s stuck like this.” Adora put her sword on her back and watched as Angella walked over. The older woman placed her hand on Catra’s forehead and the girl stop screaming and writhing.

“There, should be a pleasant memory will we figure out what’s going on. Now, drop your transformation, you know it drains you.” Adora took a deep breath and felt her form shrink back to normal size. She was back in her normal clothes, her sword merely a gem on a necklace.

“I-”

“Get changed and I’ll make some tea. I expect you to tell me everything.”

  * ••

_ Catra was eight, playing out in the rain in an oversized coat. She ran around Ms. Weaver’s yard, her red rainboots making satisfying squishing noises when she jumped in puddles. She was momentarily far, far away from the disgusting old house. She was on a different planet, a cadet. A good cadet and everyone loved her- _

_ Catra slipped as a battered blue minivan squealed into the driveway. Her arms pinwheeled, long red sleeves making it look even more ridiculous, and down she went into the mud. Her jeans soaked and dirty, she quickly ran inside, hoping to deal with it before Ms. Weaver saw. Before she could head inside, the minivan opened and a woman with black hair pulled into a messy ponytail stepped out. She wore a tan raincoat with black leggings and a pair of green sneakers. _

_ “Hi kiddo. Would you mind telling me if this is Ms. Weaver’s?” The woman asked, her brown eyes sparkling with kindness. _

_ “Uh huh.” Catra nodded, wiping her nose.  _

_ “Could you show me to her office? I’ve got to talk to her.” The woman asked. _

_ “Sure, I gotta change first though. Ms. Weaver won’t be happy if I’m covered in mud when she sees me.” Catra bounced into the house, tugging her boots off and running to her room. She dug a clean pair of jeans out from her area and shoved the dirty ones under her mattress. She could deal with that later. Catra tugged on the new jeans and hopped her braid wasn’t messed up from falling. _

_ The woman waited by the stairs. Catra ran down as fast as she could. _

_ “So Ms. Weaver’s office is this way, ‘M not supposed to go in there, but I can show you how to get there.” Catra spoke as she walked down the hallway. _

_ “Thanks kiddo.” The woman smiled and pushed the door open. And an hour later, the woman pushed the door to Catra’s room open. _

_ “Are you Catra?” She asked. _

_ “Uh huh.” _

_ “My name’s Claire. I’m adopting you.” _

  * ••

Adora sipped her tea as Angella got off the phone with someone. After explaining what had happened, Angella had immediately pulled out her phone and called someone. Adora had no idea who, but knew not to worry too much about it.

“Adora, can I see you a moment? I have a theory.” Adora complied, walking over. The first thing Angella did was swipe her thumb over the cuts on Adora’s cheek. The blonde felt her skin stitching itself back together as Angella walked over to Catra and placed her palm on the infected area on her shoulder. The older woman closed her eyes and Adora watched as Angella’s hair glowed white, her eyes opening and turning a bright shade of blue. Catra’s body shuddered as Angella’s power flowed through her. Eventually, the older woman pulled away, looking drained. Catra’s infected shoulder wound now looked less like the toxic shade of green it had been and looked more human.

“What? I’ve never seen you use your powers and have that effect before.” Adora exclaimed.

“That’s because whatever was in your roommates body is synthesized magic. Someone took one look at what we can do and tried to recreate it. That thing she was bleeding? It felt like your powers, but dark. Whoever is doing this, they know what we can do. And they are trying to recreate it.”

  * ••

Catra woke up with a shudder. She was lying on a padded bed in what looked like a secret lair. She carefully lifted her head and noticed that a figure in gleaming silver armor watching over her. She instantly recognized the peach colored wings of a figure from her mom’s stories.

The Angel stood proud, pink mask securely in place. Her silver armor glistened in the lighting and almost distracted Catra enough so that she didn’t see the other figure in the room. Almost.

She ra was more towards the back, seemingly hiding. Catra tilted her head, trying to get a better view of the hero.

“Nice to see you awake.” She ra smiled, her blue eyes lighting up.

“How long have I been out?” Catra replied.

“Not long. Maybe an afternoon?”

“Fuck.” Catra muttered. Her sister was probably worried sick. “Not that I’m not honored or whatever, but why am I down here? I don’t feel injured.”

“You were infected with something. The Angel needed to cure it. I’m more than happy to fly you back to wherever you need to get, random citizen.” She ra laughed to herself. Catra had no fucking clue why.

“Cool. So, can I go?”

“Just need a few blood samples.” The Angel spoke. The woman stepped forward and took out a syringe. Catra winced a bit, but she’d rather get this over with and head home.

“Now, we need you to promise you won’t try and intervene with hero stuff again, okay?” She ra moved forward as Catra pulled herself out of the bed.

“Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're gonna bond...
> 
> Anyways I hope y'all enjoyed
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death


	14. She’s Worried?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the end notes

Watching She Ra try and make small talk was literally the funniest thing Catra had ever witnessed. The blonde hero stumbled over her words as the pair entered the city. Catra had been shifted in She Ra’s arms a few times due to the bandaging around her shoulder. The fact that there were bandages after a visit with the Angel was strange. Everyone knew that the Angel’s powers of healing helped with any injury, and yet here Catra was with a bandage on her shoulder. 

“So, where should I drop you?” She Ra asked. 

“Do you know where Etheria University is?” Catra replied. 

“You’re a student?”

“Yeah. I’ll give you the name of my building. I’m in the freshman dorms, just drop me there.” Said Catra. She Ra looked uncomfortable. 

“Miss, I don’t know if I-”

“I’m not giving you a choice. Just drop me outside the freshman dorms.” She interrupted. Eventually the pair touched down outside the brick building. 

“Thanks for the ride.” Catra winked and walked through the doors. She was lucky her student ID had been in her pocket. 

She meandered up the stairs and finally got to her dorm. She really hoped Adora was in there. Just before she could knock, the door swung open. Adora stood on the other side, dressed in a pair of back booty shorts and a rainbow tank top, her hair down for once. 

“Catra!” She exclaimed, pulling her inside. Catra allowed herself to be hugged by her roommate. 

“Hey.” She murmured into Adora’s shoulder. 

“Oh, sorry. I shouldn’t have- I was worried. I found your bag outside our door, and I thought something happened to you.” Adora blushed. 

“It’s fine. I get being worried. And I-” a pounding on the door interrupted them. Catra rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, opening it to see Scorpia. 

“OH MY GOD IS THAT A BANDAGE?” Her sister yelled. 

“I… yeah.”

“AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? NO ONE ANSWERED WHEN I CAME HERE TEN MINUTES AGO! AND NO ONE ANSWERED AN HOUR BEFORE THAT! AND NO ONE-”

“We get it.” Catra mumbled. 

“I was… looking for Catra.” Adora spoke, looking down at her feet. 

“SO WHERE WERE YOU CATRA?” 

“She Ra took me to the Angel.”

“If you saw the Angel, why do you have a bandage?” Suddenly Scorpia looked more confused than enraged. 

“I don’t know. I just woke up and She Ra and the Angel were studying me. It was weird.” Said Catra. 

“I’m taking you to Entrapta.”

“Bye Adora, don't wait up.”

  * ••

Adora exhaled as the door slammed shut. Flying up to the room as fast as she could and getting changed had took a lot out of her. To be honest, she didn’t even remember changing. It was mostly a blur because she could hear Catra’s footsteps getting closer to the room. 

Digging out her phone, Adora dialed Glimmer’s number. The phone rang a few times before she answered. 

“Hello?” It wasn’t Glimmer’s voice. Bow had picked up her phone instead. 

“Hey Bow, is Glimmer there?” There was a short scuffle from what Adora could hear. 

“-dumbass. You can’t do that. Glimmer here.” Glimmer finally spoke. 

“Can I come over? I’ve got some information we should look at.” Adora asked. 

“Uh, sure. See you in a few.” As Adora hung up, she almost swore she could hear Glimmer saying something in a panicked voice to Bow. Whatever.

  * ••

Catra sighed as Entrapta examined her wound. The purple haired girl had covered her mouth and carefully injected a syringe into it.

“And you’re sure the Angel was there?” Scorpia asked, relaxing on her bed.

“Yeah. It was kind of weird. I… I felt so angry, and then it’s all blank.”

“Do you remember anything before that?”

“I was trying to hold the bot back from the cafe. There were so many people inside and I thought I could keep it away. She Ra showed up and the bot hit me… and then it’s blank.” Catra pulled out her phone as Entrapta wheeled over to her desk. She hummed, inserting the syringe into a small machine. 

“What’s that?” Scorpia asked. 

“Oh, this? It’s going to analyze Catra’s blood. I want to see what the bot injected you with. It should be fascinating.” She replied, pulling away the mask covering her mouth. 

“...and we can prevent it from happening to anyone else?” Scorpia reminded her. 

“Yes, that too.”

“Could you… I don’t know, track the source of the stuff?” Catra asked. 

“Theoretically I could, but it would take much longer.”

“Long enough to build me a few things?” Catra saw understanding on Entrapta’s face as the girl broke into a smile. 

  * ••

Adora paced the floor as Glimmer and Bow sat on Glimmer’s bed. She had showed up to her room a few minutes ago and was doing her best to explain what had happened. 

“Okay… how was my mom?” Glimmer asked as soon as Adora had finished. She was currently leaning against Bow. 

“Fine? She seemed busy, but that’s how she always is.”

“You said the serum is being analyzed?” Now questioned. 

“As soon as we can extract some of it from Catra’s blood. I don’t know what the hell the stuff is, but it was weird.” 

“As soon as Angella gets the readings, can you have her send them to me? I want to look into this a bit.” 

“I’ll text her.” Glimmer replied, pulling out her phone. 

“So, Whirl Wind wasn’t there, but she’s definitely behind this.” Adora pointed out. 

“We actually don’t know that. Didn’t Mom day the serum used magic?” The purple haired girl spoke. 

“Yeah, but we don’t know what her powers are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m putting this fic in a short hiatus. My anxiety has been skyrocketing the past few weeks, and making sure this gets updated has become super stressful. I’ll probably come back in two-three weeks. 
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing


	15. Kinda Date? Maybe Kiss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAH I am so sorry for how long the hiatus was. Despite originally only meaning it to be a month or so, I got a bad case of writer’s block and couldn’t come up with how to progress this story However, here is 2.5k-ish of the girls having a semi date as an apology

Catra watched closely as Entrapta began outlining the basic mechanics of her suit. Scorpia had ducked out early into the process, claiming she “didn’t want to get arrested for vigilantism.” Entrapta looked bothered by that. She had simply waved goodbye to her roommate and continued to bring Catra’s concept to life. 

“I can probably have the suit built in a few days, but the coding will take longer.” She expressed, grabbing the blueprints and her tool bag. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Catra asked. She really hadn’t been expecting to be left alone so soon. 

“The robotics lab. Easiest place to build the suit, and I’d rather complete it sooner rather than later.”

“Alright, I’m gonna head to my room then.” Catra grabbed her backpack and left the cluttered dorm, heading down the hall. She jogged up the stairs, wincing as her shoulder began throbbing again. 

Ignoring the pain, she dug her keys out of her bag, unlocking her dorm. God, how was she even injured after seeing The Angel. The Angel was notorious for her healing powers. And Catra’s painful shoulder made no sense. And her memory gap, which was only filled was anger? Also made no sense. Just… everything that had happened made no sense at all. 

  * ••

Adora fiddled with her necklace. Glimmer had left to go pick up some comfort food, and Bow had run off to grab his laptop. They were going to watch something cutesy to take their mind off the analysis. Adora didn’t really know why she had been left alone in Glimmer’s dorm, but it was happening anyway. She let her mind wander, which never was a good thing. The therapist that Angella had made her see when she first started living with her said that Adora had a “hyper realistic imagination” which supposedly meant her nightmares were even more terrifying. Adora forced herself to get off that train of thought. Thinking of something else. Anything else. 

Her mind wandered to her roommate with heterochromatic eyes and a short fuse. Catra was a pleasant thought so Adora let herself hold onto it. She thought of Catra’s long brown hair, and the determination in her eyes when she had fought that bot earlier. She thought of Catra staying with her after a hard day. She-

“I’m back!” Bow called out, letting himself into the room. He must have changed into his pajamas back at his own dorm, because he wore a loose tee shirt that said “pan-tastic” with a pair of blue flannel pants. 

“Hey Bow.” Adora called. The boy set up his laptop on Glimmer’s coffee table. The two of them waited a few minutes, talking about nothing. Finally, Glimmer came back, carrying a bag that smelled like mac and cheese. 

“What’re you thinking for a show?” She questioned. Adora never got to answer because Bow’s laptop had a FaceTime request. Bow clicked the accept button and Glimmer’s cousin popped up on the screen. 

Frosta Snows was fifteen years old and already had more ambition than most adults. She had black hair that was cropped and usually pulled back with a blue headband. Today, Frosta had on a blue sweater. It was 3 hours earlier on the west coast, which meant the girl must have just gotten home. 

“Hey Frosta.” Glimmer smiled. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was there. I thought you might like to see something.” Frosta grinned back at her cousin. Adora was pretty ambivalent on the case of Frosta, but she knew the younger girl looked up to her. 

“It’s fine, we were just going to watch a movie.” Glimmer assured. 

“Oh! Hi Adora and Bow!” She waved enthusiastically. 

“Sup Frosta?” Adora asked. 

“Oh right, I wanted to show Glimmer THIS!” She let out a giggle and opened her hand. Snowflakes danced on her palms. 

“You got your powers?” 

“I DID!” Adora had known for a while that Glimmer’s powers were genetic. Most members of her mom’s side had powers, and her dad had powers. Though Adora could say her own powers were genetic, she would actually mean a genetic mutation. 

  * ••

Catra chilled on her bed, eating lukewarm ramen and checking out the comments on the video that Entrapta had posted a few days ago. The general consensus was that she had an amazing voice, which was nice to hear. Catra smiled to herself and pulled up her texts. 

The Scorp 

_ (9:31) Hey, wanna help me film something tomorrow _

**(9:42) OH MY GOD! **

**(9:43) ARE YOU DOING THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL**

_ (9:43) Maybe _

**(9:44) YESSSSSSSS**

_ (9:44) Calm the fuck down _

_ (9:44) it’s not like I announced I won a Nobel peace prize _

**(9:45) IM COMING OVER TO PLAN**

Cute Blonde 

_ (9:45) So Scorpia is in our dorm _

_ (9:45) figured I should let you know _

**(10:00) Thx Catra!**

**(10:01) I’m probably not coming back to the dorm 2nite tho**

_ (10:01) Staying at Glitters? _

**(10:01) Yeah**

**(10:02) She says it’s a de-stress thing but idk**

_ (10:02) are you six or something _

_ (10:02) *sick _

**(10:03) thx for the clarification **

**(10:03) was pretty insulted for a sec there**

_ (10:05) Don’t avoid the question _

**(10:05) I’m fine**

**(10:05) Glimmer’s just overprotective**

_ (10:06) Any particular reason? _

**(10:06) I guess she’s just Like That™️**

_ (10:07) Like That™️? _

**(10:07) Don’t get me wrong, I love her to death, but Glimmer just has an overprotective nature**

_ (10:07) valid _

**(10:08) As much as I’ve enjoyed this, Glim is yelling at me to get off my phone**

**(10:08) You wanna get breakfast tomorrow and continue this there?**

_ (10:08) Sure _

_ (10:09) Coffee Beans at 10:30? _

**(10:09) C u there**

  * ••

Adora woke up bright and early the next day, her exhaustion completely gone. She was having a semi-date with Catra. While it wasn’t really a date-date, she would be spending time with a cute girl, and honestly that was fun. Even if Catra wasn’t into her, Adora hoped they could be friends. 

She rolled over and noticed that, while she had slept on the floor, Bow and Glimmer had shared a bed. The two were curled up into each other. Adora smiled to herself. It was nice to see how close the two were. 

Walking over to the closet, she pulled out the box full of her spare clothes. Luckily she kept her favorite date tank top here. The lacy red top went perfectly with her pair of blue jeans and blue converse. Adora decided against the ponytail, choosing instead to pull her hair into a messy bun held in place by a golden pin. She grabbed her bag, unplugged her phone, and left Glimmer’s dorm, beginning her journey across campus. 

  * ••

Cute Blonde 

**(10:16) got to coffee beans a bit early**

**(10:16) no pressure to answer but**

**(10:17) ETA**

_ (10:18) Calm down, I’m almost there _

_ (10:18) My sister moved my boots while she was over last night, so I had to find them _

_ (10:19) And technically I’m still early _

**(10:20) I know**

**(10:20) want me to put ur order in?**

_ (10:21) you don’t have to pay _

**(10:21) but I want 2**

_ (10:21) fine, just a black coffee _

**(10:21) 👌☕️**

_ (10:22) Nerd _

**[Read 10:22)**

Catra pulled her leather jacket tighter as she walked into Coffee Beans. She had spent way too much time debating if what she was wearing was fine, which was so unlike her. Eventually she decided on a black romper that ended midthigh and showed a little bit of her cleavage. Her leather jacket was thrown on as a bit of a security blanket and her boots had been laced up tightly. 

Catra spotted Adora sitting by the window, deep in conversation with Perfuma. She had a drink that looked way too sugary and (from what Catra could tell) a black coffee. 

“Hey Catra!” Adora yelled, waving her hand. Damn, sugar really makes this girl hyper. 

“Hey Adora,” Catra slid onto her chair. Adora passed her the coffee. “How much was that?”

“No it’s on me. I… uh, my treat.”

“Dude, you don’t even have a job. I should pay for my own coffee.”

“No no, I got it. Plus, Cynthia finally got back to me. I do have a job.” Adora looked extremely pleased with herself. 

“Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face.” Catra muttered, taking a sip of her coffee. 

“What? This grin? This one right here?” The blonde smirked and leaned across the table, getting in Catra’s face. 

“Uhhhhh…” Catra started into piercing blue eyes. 

“Gotcha!” Adora tapped Catra’s nose with her finger and sat back. The brunette noticed her blonde friend now had a distinct blush. 

“Oh my god, are you blushing?” Catra teased. 

“No, shut up I’m not.” Adora stuttered. 

“You totally are. That’s adorable.”

“Nice pun.”

“FUCK! I hate puns.”

  * ••

Adora and Catra had left the coffee shop probably an hour after they had arrived. The girls walked across campus, just enjoying each other’s company. Occasionally, Catra would wince and press against her shoulder, but she insisted she was fine. Adora wasn’t so sure. She knew how weird Angella not being able to heal someone was.

However, she tried to keep her mind off it and just reveled being in Catra’s presence. She had hardly hung out with her roommate before, which was strange because the two got along so well. They were headed into city center when another bot attack made the ground shake. 

Really?

Adora suddenly latched onto Catra’s hand and pulled her into an alley. The brunette didn’t look frightened, but she still clutched the blonde’s hand. 

“Quick, go that way.” Adora yelled over the roar. 

“You’ve gotta come with me!” Catra protested, tugging on her. 

“I have to do something first.” Adora pulled her hand out of Catra’s grasp but then Catra grabbed the neckline of her top and pulled. Adora’s lips slammed into Catra’s, her hands flying around Catra’s waist. The two ended up against the wall, ignoring the rage of the bot. 

“I… I’ll see you.” Catra muttered as she pulled away and ran off down the alley. Adora might have stayed against that wall, trying to remember every single detail of the kiss, but the bot’s lasers shocked her out of her stupor. 

She clutched her necklace blindly, willing her sword to her side. The first time she had done this, Glimmer had teased her about “being female Thor summoning Mjolnir”. She wasn’t wrong. 

The sword flew to Adora’s hand and she felt her clothes transform into her super suit. Pushing off the ground, she flew upwards, trying to get a better vantage point. Figuring out where the bot was coming from was step number one. If she could trace it back to its origins, she could find Whirl Wind. If Whirl Wind was here, Adora wasn’t sure she could take her. 

Spotting a purple speck, Adora flew to its side. Glimmer used her powers of teleportation to confuse the bot, moving when it swung. 

“Took you long enough She Ra.” Glimmer muttered. 

“I was busy and had to find a good place.” Adora whined, swinging her sword at the metal. 

“Archer and I got here faster than you… and we don’t even have flight powers.”

“You can literally teleport-“

“CRESCENT! SHE RA! Whirl Wind has been spotted outside the Crimson Waste.” Bow yelled. 

“I’m on it!” Adora swung her sword at the bot one last time before taking off, going as fast as she could to the bar. She scanned the area carefully, getting closer. Finally, Adora spotted a familiar figure in red armour.

“Oh, look She Ra is here.” Whirl Wind remarked sarcastically, looking unimpressed. She flicked her hand and a gust of wind came towards Adora.

“Is that the best you can do?” Adora smirked, raising her sword.

“Oh, I’m just getting started.”

  * ••

Catra ran through the back alleyways, trying to evade the torrent of lasers. She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for, but she kept moving nonetheless. Scorpia would probably say that Catra was running from the fact that she kissed Adora. Scorpia was a hopeless romantic like that.

But no, Catra was not running from her kiss. If anything she was running from the fucking bots invading the city again. It’s not like anyone would blame her for running from the bots. Also, who even had to know about the kiss. She could just blame it on adrenaline and be done with having to think about it. 

“OOF!” Catra tripped over something, catching herself with her hands. She whipped around, looking to see exactly what had tripped her. Nothing was in the alley, save for a few pieces of trash and the faintest trace of black smoke... 

Which almost looked like it was leading her somewhere.

Making would could be one of the dumbest decisions of her life, Catra decided to follow the smoke. She ran to keep pace with it, not noticing that the bots were clearing a path for her.

Eventually she approached a sewer grate, which the smoke dove down into. There was no way Catra could get down there. Except the sewer grate melted as soon as the smoke passed it, leaving a hole Catra could easily. She took a deep breath and jumped down into the sewer.

  * ••

Adora twirled her sword as she flew towards Whirl Wind. The villain was using her hands to stay floating in midair, which should have made the fight easier. It did not. Whirl Wind skilled enough to get shots off while falling and catching herself after shooting gusts of air.

Adora launched herself at the woman during the split second fall and knocked her out of the sky. Whirl Wind did manage to lessen the impact, but Adora had her sword pointed at her throat.

“That’s the best I can do.” She smirked, watching the blood drain out of Whirl Wind’s face. However, at that moment a gust of black smoke rose out of the sewers and swirled around, overwhelming Adora. She swatted at it and suddenly felt a strong wind. The smoke cleared and Whirl Wind was gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mutual pinning ahead
> 
> Slowburn... it’s gonna take a while
> 
> Anyways please let me know if y’all enjoyed
> 
> Comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing 
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death


	16. That didn’t go as planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I’m trying to get on a regular upload schedule, this entire chapter was just giving me so many problems since it introduces the final plot thread for the second half of this 
> 
> Also, really quick... I don’t know if y’all are keeping up with the news in America, but whats happening right now is stuff that’s going to be in history books...
> 
> Anyway here is a link for some information on how you can help

Catra pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned the flashlight on. She followed the smoke as it wooshed around corners, and at one point she broke into a run, making sure she wouldn’t lose it. She had no clue how long she had been running, but at least the shaking from above had stopped. 

Rounding one more corner, she stopped short. The smoke had led Catra to a dead end. 

“Of course,” she muttered to herself. “This is why we don’t follow a weird cloud of smoke.”

Shaking her head, she turned around, intending to leave the tunnel, when her phone died. No more flashlight. Rolling her eyes, Catra waited a minute for her eyes to adjust and was just about to take a step forward, when the smoke surged. It blocked her exit, leaving her trapped where ever the fuck she was. Pulling her jacket tightly around herself, she tried to examine the walls for any sort of passage. 

And that’s when the smoke began circling her. 

It swirled quickly, making a cocoon of black smoke. Catra reached her hand out, seeing if she could possibly pass through it. The smoke traveled up her arm and began entering her body through her nose. Catra collapsed to the floor, the world fading away.

  * ••

Adora fell over, suddenly feeling the effort of the fight. There was no way she could get back to the dorms like this. She barely had enough energy to push herself back up into a standing position.

“Hey, She ra!” Adora glanced over, spotting Huntara standing in the doorway of the Crimson Waste.

“Huh?” She leaned against the nearest sturdy object in order to keep upright. 

“You need help kid?” Huntara walked out, grabbing Adora and helping her into the bar. It was empty, probably a result of the bot. “My wife owns this place, want some food? Might help.”

“I-” Adora collapsed into the chair. “I need to get a hold of Crescent.”

“Alright kid. I’m gonna grab you some water, you might be dehydrated.” Huntara went into the kitchen, leaving Adora in the empty bar.

“Crescent, come in.” She turned her comm back on, waiting for a reply.

“Not Crescent, her comm got shorted out. I’m with her though.” Bow’s voice came over the ear piece. 

“I don’t think I can get back on my own. Whirl Wind is a lot stronger than we thought before. I’m drained.”

“I’ll send Crescent over. Are you still at the Crimson Waste?” 

“Yeah, I’m in the bar.”

  * ••

Catra woke up on the floor of Sharon’s foster home. The house looked like it was the victim of a particularly bad storm and it had been abandoned for years. Every surface was covered in dust and some of the windows were missing glass. Pushing herself off the floor, she noticed a set of smaller footprints. They were the only sign that anything had been in the house recently. It wasn’t really like she had any other idea of what to do, so she followed them.

  * ••

Glimmer appeared in her usual cloud of purple sparkles. Her uniform was still on, but her hood was down, showing her hair was more disheveled than usual. Adora stood up and mentally prepared herself for the jolt from teleporting. At that second, Huntara reentered the bar. 

“Kid, you and your friends are always welcome here if you need help.” The older woman smiled at them.

“Thank you ma’am.” Adora smiled weakly.

“Kid, we both know you know my name. You should email Cynthia back about the job soon.” Huntara chuckled to herself and Adora felt the familiar jolt of energy that went through her everytime Glimmer teleported.

The pair landed in Glimmer’s room, startling Bow. He had changed out of his uniform, and was now wearing a pair of sweatpants with his hoodie. Glimmer deposited Adora onto the bed and joined Bow on the floor. 

“Wanna explain why you’re so drained?” Glimmer crossed her arms. Adora took a deep breath, and began recounting the fight.

  * ••

The footprints lead into Catra’s old room. Standing there, blinking owlishly at her, was Catra herself. Well not quite. This Catra couldn’t have been more than 6 or 7 and was practically swallowed by her red hoodie. Catra reached out to her double, noticing the bandages wrapped around her arms. She knew roughly how old she was now. 

“You did this to me.” The smaller Catra cried out.

“I- what?” She gaped at small Catra.

“You did. You’re no good, you’re the root of your problems.”

“No, that’s not-”

_ Oh, but it is… _

A horrible, familiar voice echoed throughout the house. Smaller Catra ran and Catra, regular Catra, turned in horror.

_ You didn’t really think you were rid of me, did you, you ungrateful little brat? _

Sharon.

  * ••

Adora had changed into the extra pair of pajamas she kept at Glimmer’s while her friends discussed possible theories. Bow had brought up the point that her powers had a place where they switched from helping to hurting. Glimmer had said that they had to find that point so Adora wouldn’t end up in this position again. 

“‘Cause I can’t always retrieve you.” Glimmer teased as Bow placed the order for pizza. Because apparently the trio needed comfort food. 

“Glim, you really should change out of that. What if someone sees you?” Adora gestured at the uniform. Glimmer rolled her eyes and changed into a pair of pajama shorts and an oversized hoodie that was clearly Bow’s.

“Okay mom.” She retorted, sticking her tongue out and setting her laptop up. 

  * ••

“Sharon.. what…” Catra blinked at the form of her old foster-mom. She looked exactly like Catra had remembered, with her sickly green eyes and pale skin that alway reminded Catra of a ghost when she was younger. “Why are you here?” Catra growled at the woman.

_ Don’t be flippant with me, child _

Sharon flicked her hands and the black smoke rushed out of them. Catra felt a force smack her in the stomach, sending her flying into a wall. Catra shook her head. 

“No, you can’t… you couldn’t do this before. I must have been knocked unconscious, there’s no way-” She groaned, pushing herself to her feet. 

_ Oh you may be unconscious, but I assure you, this is quite real. _

Sharon moved forward, her feet seeming not to touch the ground. The black smoke had yet to dissipate and it curled around Sharon’s forearms, almost like a pet snake. 

“Stay back!” Catra hissed, grabbing the nearest thing she could use to defend herself, a plank of wood.

_ Foolish child, you can’t possible think you can hold your own against me with a mere piece of wood _

“Well Sharon,” Catra spit back, “I’m sure as hell gonna try.” She charged at her former foster mother with the wood, swinging at her abdomen. The plank passed straight through the woman, almost as if she were made of smoke herself. 

Sharon let out a cackle and flicked her wrist. The smoke enveloped Catra once more, but she was suddenly surrounded by pain. 

_ I told you Catra, you cannot beat me with a piece of wood. You could have been so much more than this and yet you’ve rejected every gift I ever gave you. You are weak. _

The click of boots against the wooden floor could be heard against Catra’s screams. 

“I told you she couldn’t handle it.” A familiar southern twang spoke. 

_ Well that was never your choice _

“I’m just sayin’, if you really want Catra to suffer, do this.” A pair of gloves hands grasped the sides of Catra’s head. Suddenly, Catra was falling, away from the smoke, away from Sharon, and away from the pain of her nightmares. 

  * ••

“I don’t get why you’re so obsessed with this movie.” Glimmer commented through a mouth full of pizza. Adora groaned and turned to look at one of her best friends. 

“Excuse you, Tangled is a cinematic masterpiece.” She through a pillow at the smaller girl’s head. 

“Say you’re a sucker for the romance and move on.” Glimmer deflected the pillow, and smirked. 

“I don’t know Glims, the romance is pretty good.” Bow commented. 

“Not you too!” 

“I’m just saying, that is peak romance.” Bow pointed at the screen, where Rapunzel was currently trying to shove Flynn Rider into a closet. 

“I don’t even like it for the romance.” Adora tried. Glimmer scoffed. 

“Please! 90% of this movie is romance. And if you aren’t in it for the romance, you’re in it ‘cause you relate to Rapunzel.”

“I don’t relate to Rapunzel. If anything, I’m more of a Flynn Ri-“ Bow and Glimmer broke out into laughter. 

“Adora, you’ve never broken a law in your life.” Bow said through his laughter. 

“I can break a law if I want!”

  * ••

Catra woke up strapped down to a metal table and significantly younger than she had been before. She had no clue where she was, and what was happening. 

“Hello?” She called out, trying to get an idea of what happened. She heard a laugh from a corner and saw the familiar figure of Whirl Wind leaning against the wall. 

“Wow Catra, I really didn’t think it would be this hard to get you to this memory, but when you repress, you really repress huh?” Whirl Wind was way more expressive than her battles with She Ra. Whatever this hell basement was, the villain was completely comfortable here. 

“Where the hell am I?” She asked, struggling against the cuffs. Whirl Wind laughed once more. 

“You really don’t recognize this place, huh? Wow, I wish I could repress as well as you, though I suppose you didn’t have to lock away as much.” The woman was suddenly right next to the metal table, looking down at her. 

“I used to envy you. See, Sharon only got a few weeks of experiments on you before someone decided they wanted you. I used to go ‘She's lucky, I wish someone wanted me.’ But guess what? At least my year underneath her scalpel gave me something. You and your few weeks? A waste. You’re weak Catra.” Whirl Wind spat. Catra heard the familiar click clack of Sharon’s heels coming down a flight of stairs. 

“Who’s there?” Catra called, her voice coming out a hell of a lot younger than it was supposed to. 

“You’re trapped in your stupid repressed memories now Catra. Have fun reliving the wasteful pain.” Whirl Wind vanished and Sharon stalked into the room. Almost against her will, Catra let out a whimper. Sharon whipped her head over, glaring. 

“This will be easier if you are silent.” The woman spoke slowly and precisely. Catra squirmed. 

“And if you are STILL!” Sharon ran over with a syringe in hand. She injected it into Catra, and Catra lost all sense of feeling. “A paralyzing agent. To make my work easier.” Sharon fastened a red mask onto her face, covering her sickly green eyes. The woman pulled out yet another syringe and Catra tried to get her body to move. 

Anything. 

Just a small twitch. 

She couldn’t. She was utterly helpless to the second syringe entering her body, and Sharon didn’t give her the courtesy or explaining what it was. Suddenly, Catra could feel again. But it was too much. Her body began shaking and she could feel the restraints coming loose. She screamed as her body convulsed, infected with whatever the hell Sharon had put in her. 

“Trial 17 has finally yielded something. Unfortunately the subject will be leaving my care soon, so experimentation must stop. Next subject is subject 07. I will leave the current subject to recover for a day, and look for the desired effects. More information to follow.” Sharon clicked off her record and pulled off the mask. She left Catra writhing on the table. 

“Wait…” Catra groaned, pushing herself off the table. Sharon turned around, her hand reaching for another syringe. 

“Get back on the table.” The women approached. Catra let the table stabilize her as she faced Sharon for the first time in years. 

“No, you don’t control me.” Catra growled, her hands balling into fists. 

“Catra… child… it’s for your own good. Get back on the table.” 

“I won’t.” Catra hissed, watching as Sharon slowly walked forward, the syringe pointed towards her. 

“I said get back on the table you insolent brat!” Sharon snapped and Catra’s vision went red.

She hurtled forward, grabbing Sharon’s wrist and forcing her to drop the syringe. The older woman flailed wildly, reaching around for something. It didn’t matter what. Catra wasn’t going to let her grab it. Catra heard rustling and suddenly a gust of black smoke was hurtling towards her. She ducked, narrowly avoiding it. 

Luckily, it hit Sharon instead. Her former foster mother fell to the ground, cursing Catra’s name. 

“There’s no way this happened.” Catra muttered to herself. She closed her eyes and could suddenly feel the cold, hard concrete of before. She woke up with her ankle throbbing and a dead phone. 

  * ••

Adora woke as Rapunzel begged with Mother Gothel to let her save Eugene. She glanced over and saw that Glimmer was passed out on Bow. The blonde smiled to herself. Anyone could see those two were crazy about each other, except for Glimmer and Bow. 

Suddenly, Adora noticed her phone was buzzing. She frowned slightly as she noticed the caller ID read Scorpia. Not because she disliked Scorpia, but because Scorpia disliked her. If she was calling, something had to be really wrong. Nevertheless, Adora answered. 

“Scorpia?” She asked. 

“Hey uh, is Catra with you?” The girl on the other end asked. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. 

“No, I’m at my friend's dorm. Why, is she not in her dorm?” Adora heard Scorpia’s quiet yelp. 

“She’s not here, and no one has heard from her. She’s been gone hours and the last time I saw her, she was near Whirl Wind’s attack.”

“Scorpia, what are you saying?”

“Catra is missing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is my problem child. So much of the rest of the plot depends on this chapter, and I’ve been rewriting it for months.
> 
> Anyways I hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Please comment because it gives me the motivation to keep writing
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death


	17. Superpowers? No, Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye I’m getting better at regular uploads, but I’m still hoping to get back to my weekly uploads. Not sure that’s gonna be happening for a while though

Catra groaned and tried to push herself onto the wall. Her ankle buckled under the weight of her body and she yelped slightly. That was gonna be a bitch to deal with while she tried to find her way out of these tunnels. 

“Okay Catra, think.” She muttered to herself. Catra wasn’t helpless, she liked to think she was competent. But still, a throbbing ankle in the middle of a bunch of tunnels without a flashlight wouldn't end well. Maybe if she laced her boot tighter, she would be able to put a little more pressure on it. 

She carefully undid the laces on her left boot and braced herself against the wall. Ugh, she would definitely need to shower after this. 

Shutting her eyes, Catra tugged on the boot laces as hard as she could, feeling the pain in a sharp burst. Her yell echoed down the empty corridors. 

“Motherfucker!” She hastily tied the boot laces, giving them another small tug to make sure it was properly braced. Well, maybe she could actually use the walls to walk now. 

  * ••

Adora followed behind Scorpia as the pair moved throughout Catra’s usual spots. Adora was worried. She knew she should have checked on Catra as soon as she returned from her fight, but she had been a little preoccupied. Still, it was no excuse for not even texting the girl she had kissed before running off to fight. 

“Can’t you track her phone?” Adora brought up. Scorpia looked at the ground guiltily. 

“Catra was always against the phone tracker. I should have pushed it on her, but…” She trailed off. Adora reached out and patted Scorpia’s shoulder in an attempt to reassure the girl. 

“You did everything you could. We both know Catra would never have let you track her. We’re going to find her.” Adora walked through the rubble closer to the coffee shop. It’s possible that Catra could have still been in the alleyway, injured or worse, but she didn’t want to think about that. 

“So Catra was here?”

“Technically she- we were in the alleyway. I… I went to go help some of the people in the coffee shop because- well She Ra wasn’t there yet. And I told Catra to run.” Adora looked back at the alley. 

“Maybe there’s something we could track her with? I'm not going to lose hope. She’s got to be okay, right?”

  * ••

Finally on her feet, Catra shuffled one foot forward. The stupid sewer smell was making her gag, which was not helping her keep her mind off the pain. She gripped her jacket as tightly as she could. As a kid, she had learned that putting pressure on other places could lessen her pain. Of course, that was a mental trick, but there was no reason she couldn’t try it. It helped a little bit, but not enough to lessen the pain she got when walking. At this rate, it was looking like she might be stuck in that one spot. 

  * ••

Adora wandered down the alley, looking for any sort of sign of Catra. She noticed a set dusty footprints leading towards a sewer entrance with the grate melted off. She looked around carefully and held her necklace, calling her sword and transforming into She Ra. Slipping into the sewer, she landed with a slight plop. It was slimy and smelly in the sewer, but Adora couldn’t turn back. She had to find Catra. 

Her boots would definitely need to be cleaned after her adventure into this sewer, if magic boots could even be cleaned. Adora should have grabbed a flashlight or something, because this sewer was dark. 

Luckily, Adora heard a very loud “FUCK!” echoing through the corridors. It was definitely Catra. She ran towards the sound, ignoring the squishing noises her boots made against the sewer floor. She rounded a corner and came across Catra, who was holding herself up by a wall. 

“She Ra?” She gasped. 

“Fancy seeing you again. I thought you would stay out of trouble after last time.” Adora moved a little closer to her friend. 

“Apparently I’m not very good at it. In my defense though, I don’t remember anything after the bots attacked the coffee shop I was in. I don’t even know how I got down her.” Adora shoved her emotions down. Catra apparently didn’t remember their kissing, most likely because she hit her head. 

“Well, I’m gonna help you out. A blonde girl and a white haired girl are out there looking for you.” Adora moved a little closer to Catra, getting ready to lift her. 

“I don’t need your help.” Catra tried to pull away, but hissed as she stepped back on her left ankle. 

“I can see that.” Adora remarked sarcastically. She raised her eyebrows and Catra sighed.

“Fine, just… get me out of this stupid sewer. It smells and I think I broke my ankle.”

“And you really thought you could get out of here by yourself?” Adora exclaimed. 

“Hey, I’m pretty capable.”

“Uh huh. I’m taking you to a hospital.” 

  * ••

Catra woke up in a hospital bed, feeling weird. She rolled over and noticed a note on a little tray. 

_ You passed out as soon as I picked you up. Flew you to the hospital and got you admitted for a concussion and a broken ankle.  _

_ -She Ra _

The girl groaned. Apparently it wasn’t enough that she had to be flown out of the sewer like she was Lois Lane, but appetently she also had to faint like some fucking damsel in distress. 

“Catra!” She was quickly smothered by her sister launching herself at Catra, despite the fact she was in a hospital bed. 

“Hey Scorpia. I’m okay, I promise.” She reassured the taller girl. 

“I was so worried. Adora and I went out looking for you and then She Ra showed up holding you and why were you in a sewer?” Scorpia rambled and sounded a little breathless. 

“Adora was here?” Catra asked. 

“Yeah, she wasn’t able to stay for long though. Her mom called or something and she had to fly out to see her. You could tell she wasn’t happy about it though. Adora had been waiting for you to wake up. I’ll text her for you, let her know you’re awake.” 

“No, I- I can text her myself.”

“You can’t though? You have a minor concussion and you can’t be on technology for a week.” Catra crossed her arms. Who were these nurses to tell her what she couldn’t do?

“They can’t tell me what to do.” She scrunched her face up in anger. Scorpia sighed and seemed disappointed but not surprised. 

“Wildcat, I hate to tell you, but they can. They literally went to school to help people.” 

“They can’t keep me in here though.” Catra protested. 

“No, you’re just here to make sure that you’re okay. Since you were passed out. I bet they'll let you leave once you get checked out once more.”

“I fucking hate hospitals.”

  * ••

Adora landed outside of Angella’s house. Glimmer had beat her here because of the teleportation. It was unfortunate she had to leave Catra at the hospital, but Angella had said that she had to be here. It wasn’t really fair, but it was probably for the greater good. 

“Adora, thank you for coming.” Angella rushed out of the house and wrapped her in a hug. The blonde let the hug envelope her. It had been a long day. 

“Why did you call me?” She asked once Angella pulled back. 

“I’ve finally analyzed the blood samples from your friend, Catra. It’s strange really. She has a combination of chemicals inside her body that are affecting her blood, muscles, eyes, and ears. Her nervous system is also extremely affected.”

“Affected? What does that mean?” Adora was confused. 

“I think it means your friend has superpowers.”

  * ••

Catra was on crutches and had a boot on. Scorpia was helping her get back to her dorm. She felt strange, like she could hear every little sound in the city. However when she got back to her dorm, she found Entrapta. Who was holding a rather large back. 

“Catra! It’s good to see you survived.” She grinned, her pigtails flopping as she ran up to give Catra an awkward hug. 

“I- was there a chance I wouldn’t?” The brunette stuttered. 

“No, well you were just missing for a while which meant there was a decent possibility.”

“A few hours is a while?”

“No it’s just there’s always a possibility with missing people. Anyway, I finished your suit.” Entrapta grinned and unzipped the bag. She pulled out a black suit with red accents first, then she retrieved a pair of clunky looking boots and a belt, as well as a pair of gloves. Finally, Entrapta pulled out a mask. 

“It looks so cool!” Catra smiled at her friend. 

“I fitted the boots with boosters so you can jump from building to building easier. Your gloves also have sticking capabilities so theoretically, you can climb a wall. And I gave you a few weapons, including a bo staff.” Entrapta rambled on, pulling various things out of the bag. 

“Wait, she can’t use any of that though.” Scorpia pointed out.

“But I can fit the boots to support her ankle and I’m sure she’d be careful when she was out doing her vigilante things. Either way, it’d be fascinating to watch Catra. She’s very capable, and the chance of her doing it while injured it 85%. I assumed I might as well fit her outfit to best accommodate her injuries rather than have her go without the accommodations.” 

“That’s… reasonable I guess. I still would rather Catra didn’t go out at all. I mean, she’s literally on crutches.”

“I can still hold my own Scorpia. And you’re right, you can’t stop me. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to defend this place against the bots.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re getting the the final plot threads everybody
> 
> I hope y’all enjoyed
> 
> Anyways please comment because I gives me the motivation to keep writing 
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr @bisexual-mess-ready-for-death


End file.
